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There are a few car brands that I’d like to like but are inevitably disappointed with. Maserati is at the very top of this list. Despite being disappointed by the Ghibli and the Quattroporte as well as the Levante, I keep going back to the pit, hoping that something will change. So when I got the chance to spend a few days with the 2023 Grecale Trofeo, I said yes while crossing my fingers.
Like other Trofeo models, the Grecale is all about its drivetrain, and with one caveat, what a drivetrain it is. The star of the show is a detuned version of the Nettuno V6 that first appeared in the MC20 supercar.
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In the Grecale, the 3.0-liter twin-turbo produces a robust 523 horsepower and 457 lb-ft of torque, and it feels like Maserati is underestimating those numbers. The Grecale Trofeo is shockingly fast, with a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds, assisted by four-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission. However, that caveat I mentioned is the sound. The Nettuno sounds bad in the MC20, and it sounds worse here. In any case, you can clearly hear the over-the-top turbo sounds in the MC20. The extreme fart noise it makes when shifting gears under full throttle is particularly awful.
The Grecale’s chassis is only a tiny bit less impressive than its powertrain. The standard air suspension in the Trofeo is incredibly well calibrated. It’s exceptionally comfortable on the road in comfort or GT mode and beefs up considerably in Sport and Corsa modes, making it a surprisingly capable canyon carver. Another added benefit of the air suspension is the height adjustment, which can be done manually or automatically based on driving mode. There’s even an off-road mode that pushes the Grecale up a notch, and I almost believe it would be half decent in the dirt, provided it had different tires.
The overall experience of driving the Grecale Trofeo is great. It has an excellent gearbox and a very willing engine, and the handling is, as I said, excellent. The steering is direct and the steel brakes are super strong with good initial bite. It was a blast to drive it through several hours of Southern California freeway traffic and across LA, and I have no doubt that anyone who buys the Trofeo will enjoy it pretty much on a daily basis.
So while the ride is great, that’s not typically where I find Maserati’s experience weakest. That dubious credit goes to the brand’s interior and I’m happy to report that things in the cabin are pretty decent. Don’t get me wrong, the quality of the interior in terms of materials and design doesn’t necessarily suit a car that starts at $105,000, but it’s not exactly what I’d call embarrassing either. Really, the meh interior is more a function of being the most expensive trim on a model starting at around $65,000.
The seats are comfortable, but narrower than I’d expect, and the leather only feels good and not on par with the hide you’d get in a Macan, for example. The stitching is straight and the metal column-mounted paddle shifters are great. However, the leather-like material used on the handlebar feels awful and I found the shape of the handlebar uncomfortable to grip. Oddly, it’s also covered in buttons, while the rest of the interior is notably not. Maserati’s “3D Carbon Fiber” finish looks and feels awful, but that’s subjective, and there are other options I’d probably prefer.
There’s a decent amount of room in both the front and back seats, even for someone as tall as me – I’m six feet tall – and the 20.1 cubic foot boot space is pretty good for what isn’t in the end . such a large SUV. The panoramic sunroof didn’t seem to take up much headroom either, letting plenty of light into what would otherwise feel like a fairly dark cabin.
The highlight of the interior for me is the central screen arrangement. It’s split into two sections with a curve in the lower third, with the larger upper section dedicated to infotainment and the lower third for climate control and a few other functions. It looks great and is very responsive. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, and the optional Sonus Faber stereo system is great too. One downside to this whole setup is the lack of physical buttons, besides those on the steering wheel. But because the system is so responsive, I could eventually live with it just fine.
Despite its six-figure asking price, the Grecale Trofeo doesn’t offer many advanced driver assistance features as standard, but buries them in an optional $3,100 driver assistance package. That said, my test car is optiona
l with that package, and I’m happy to report that the systems – including adaptive cruise with stop-and-go, intersection assist, traffic sign recognition, driver monitoring, blind spot assist and more – all work very well. You can also choose a heads-up display and wireless charging pad for $1,100, and the $4,100 Premium Plus package gets you the Sonus Faber stereo, heated and ventilated seats, as well as heated steering wheel and heated windshield washers.
My fully loaded test car retails for a not inconsiderable $122,395, including a $1,495 destination surcharge. If you’re looking at the Trofeo, chances are you’re probably also looking at the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the Porsche Macan GTS and the BMW X3 M as competitors. I’m happy to say that the Maserati holds up well here. The Alfa is most similar, but is 18 hp lower and has a lesser interior. Although it is cheaper, with a starting price of $87,770, which includes a destination fee of $1,595. The BMW offers 503 horsepower (provided you add the $7,000 competition package) and has a significantly less refined ride for $82,395, including a $995 destination surcharge. The Porsche Macan GTS has the most power, with only 434 available. Still, it has arguably the best interior of the bunch, and being a GTS, most of the good performance options come standard, but it’s the most expensive at $88,450, which includes a $1,695 destination fee.
In the end, I’m glad to see Maserati breaking its line of sad, overpriced, go-anywhere cars and offering something extraordinarily competitive in an already competitive market segment. The Grecale Trofeo isn’t perfect, and there’s still an Italian quirk here, but that’s part of its considerable charm and doesn’t detract from the overall driving experience. If the Grecale is indicative of Maserati’s future approach, then I think it’s incredibly exciting to spend some time with the new GranTurismo as well. It’s nice to finally not be disappointed.
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