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The Maserati Grecale Folgore looks like a Maserati on the outside and on the inside, and it feels like a Maserati to drive, but the Folgore name signifies that in this SUV the internal combustion engine has been ditched and replaced with an electric powertrain.
Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati are three Italian brands synonymous with supercars, but only one offers all-electric cars, and that’s Maserati, with the GranTurismo Folgore, and the Grecale Folgore SUV, as tested here. So has the Maserati driving experience been successfully retained with an electric powertrain?
Apart from a few styling details, the Maserati Grecale Folgore appears almost indistinguishable from the internal combustion-engined Grecale. That means that it has SUV looks, in the style of a Porsche Cayenne (but Maserati has beaten Porsche with an electric model), rather than the head-turning appearance of a supercar.
The interior feels upmarket overall, and is generally nicely finished. Because this is a 4,865mm-long SUV, it’s spacious, with a decent 535-litre boot, although there’s virtually no storage space under the boot floor, or under the bonnet, so you’re left with having the charging cables lying in the boot. This is a result of the Grecale Folgore being based on a platform designed for internal combustion engines rather than having bespoke EV architecture.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore has a 105 kWh battery (net) powering two 205 kW motors, delivering all-wheel drive.
From the moment you drive off, the Maserati Grecale Folgore feels like a quality experience, with well-weighted steering and comfortable ride quality, helped by the standard air suspension and the sensibly-sized 19-inch wheels with reasonably high profile tyres.
As well as impressive ride quality, the Grecale Folgore adds rewarding handling (for its 2,480 kg weight), and all-wheel drive grip, however the contact between the tyres and the tarmac can be overpowered on cold, wet tarmac, revealing a rear bias to the car’s handling. This is particularly evident in Sport mode (the other modes – selected by rotating a user-friendly dial on the steering wheel – are GT (the default mode when starting the car), Max Range and Off-Road), when the traction control settings are loosened for the delivery of the 550 PS of power and 820 Nm of torque. With a 0-62 mph time of 4.1 seconds, performance is impressive, although acceleration at higher speeds doesn’t feel as immediate.
The Grecale Folgore is very refined and quiet overall. You get a simulated engine noise, which is more prominent in Sport mode, and this assists with the sporty driving feel under acceleration, but the noise remains present at constant speed on the motorway, when you would expect it to fade down in the background so you can appreciate the hushed environment on long motorway journeys.
Gears are selected via four buttons on the centre console, which isn’t as user-friendly as a traditional gear lever, and this is one item that doesn’t feel as high quality as the overall interior. There are also two huge steering wheel-mounted paddles for changing the level of regenerative braking, which are so big they can get in the way when using the indicator and wiper stalks.
Apart from the ones for the gears, there are no buttons on the dashboard; most car controls are accessed through the 12.3-inch central touchscreen, which features permanent shortcut buttons for Home, Media, Nav, Vehicle and Apps, even if Apple CarPlay is in use.
Under the main touchscreen is a second screen for climate controls, with all of the main heating and ventilation controls permanently on display, which is a lot more user-friendly than having to delve into the main touchscreen to find controls that are buried away. Note that the controls for the lights have been sneaked into the climate screen, and the only volume control is a digital slider switch on the right-hand side of the climate screen.
There’s also an 8.8-inch driver’s display, and a head-up display, so that’s four displays in total. And you get a traditional-style circular clock at the top of the dashboard.
One thing that is very welcome, and unusual in most new cars, is the lack of beeps and boings when you’re driving. You can switch off the lane departure warning system using the button at the end of the left-hand stalk on the steering column, and amazingly it stays off the next time you start the car.
The central screen displays an image from the reversing camera, which compared to some rivals, isn’t as clear in low light conditions, and the clarity seems to deteriorate even further in poor weather.
And various controls seem to be poorly illuminated at night, including the window switches on the door panel and the small button that you need to press to open the door, and the button to close the tailgate doesn’t appear to be illuminated at all.
One thing about the Grecale Folgore that isn’t ideal is that the car won’t move unless you have your seat belt clicked into the socket. We’re not for a moment advocating driving around with no seat belt, but it means that if you have to move the car a couple of inches, for example to manoeuvre it closer to a charge point, you can’t without first putting your seat belt on.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore has an official WLTP combined electric driving range of 310 miles. After a week on test its real-world range was averaging 260 miles on a full charge.
This range from its large 105 kWh (net) battery suggests that the Grecale Folgore’s efficiency isn’t great, which is correct: its official WLTP consumption is 2.3 miles/kWh, compared to an average efficient EV which would be around 4.0 miles/kWh.
The Grecale Folgore has a maximum rapid charging rate of 150 kW, which is the minimum you’d expect from a car at this price point, but most rivals have faster charging speeds. This should give a 20% to 80% charge in 29 minutes, or the potential of adding 62 miles in 9 minutes. The EV can also charge at 22 kW AC.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore is priced at £97,380. Our test car had options of 3D Touch Carbon Fibre Trim (£3,240), Tech Assistance Package (£1,755), heated steering wheel (£330) and rear privacy glass (£500.00), taking the total price to £104,825. Our test car colour was Blu Intenso.
The Maserati Grecale Folgore looks like a Maserati on the outside and has the appropriate upmarket feel on the inside. It’s impressive to drive, combining comfortable ride quality with rewarding handling and good performance. Its SUV body style is also practical. However it’s not particularly efficient, which translates to a lower official and real-world range than some rivals. And at around £100,000, it’s more expensive than some similar electric SUVs. You’ve probably not seen many Grecale Folgore EVs on the roads, which is a reflection that this is a niche choice; if you want an electric car that’s different to all the Tesla Model Ys that are out there, then this could be the EV for you. We should welcome the fact that Maserati has an electric product on sale; we’re still waiting for EVs from the other two Italian supercar brands of Ferrari and Lamborghini. The Maserati Grecale Folgore is awarded a Green Car Guide rating of 8 out of 10.
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