Maserati Wants To Beat Porsche To The Electric Compact SUV Punch
Image: Maserati
Porsche hasn’t officially announced when the electric Macan is coming, but the general consensus is that it’ll be shown sometime next year with a fall 2023 launch. Unless the Germans move up that timetable, which with current delays on all Porsches seems unlikely, it won’t be the only high-end European brand with a fresh electric crossover on the market. Maserati on Tuesday announced the debut of the new Grecale. The compact sport ute will debut this summer in three gasoline trims, but the all-electric Folgore (Italian for lightning, pronounced foal-go-ray or thereabouts) should follow next year.
Image: Maserati
Porsche is still pretty mum on the details of the electric Macan replacement, but Maserati is more than happy to shove facts out into the world. The electric Grecale will feature a 105 kWh battery pack and will offer standard all-wheel drive (and likely have a pair of electric motors) for a total of 590 lb-ft of torque. The highest-spec gas-powered Grecale Trofeo only delivers 457 lb-ft, so the electric model will likely be billed as the performance and luxury winner of the bunch.
Image: Maserati
While Stellantis is currently preparing a slew of new electric platforms, the Grecale eschews any of that nonsense to soldier on with the old Giorgio platform. This is the same platform that underpins Alfa’s Stelvio and Giulia, as well as Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. That platform was rumored to be on its way out as it couldn’t accommodate electric or PHEV powertrains, but it would seem the Italian engineers have figured out how to make it work.
Image: Maserati
The all-electric Folgore looks as though it shares all of its bodywork with the gas-powered GT, Modena, and Trofeo trims. The grille on the front of the car is more concave and partially blocked off for aero advantages, and the wheels are certainly more aerodynamic on the electric model, but it’s otherwise familiar across the quartet of Grecales. I like that each of the models features a badge under the fender portholes, and that the Folgore makes use of special bronze-colored trim.
Image: Maserati
It’s likely that the Folgore will be a bit more expensive than its gasoline counterparts. The standard Grecale GT starts at $64,995, but electric Folgore pricing hasn’t yet been delivered. If the company has any hope of competing with Porsche in the EV space, it’ll need to figure out a way to keep the starting price under 80 grand or so. That seems like the sweet spot for a car like this.
Image: Maserati
