The AA were recently invited to the launch of the Maserati Grecale. I must say it was a childhood dream to drive a Maserati, and when the day came to turn this dream into a reality it certainly didn’t disappoint.  I would liken entering Winger Maserati as being like a kid in a candy store, the eyes gaze and the mouth drops as you take all this magnificence in.

The Grecale is the type of car that doesn’t catch but commands everyone’s attention on the road. This car’s exterior is a work of art – and it really should be with the luxury price tag. However, the performance of this vehicle certainly matched its eye-watering price. As I started to drive, I certainly felt what bang your get for your buck. Interestingly, Maserati are expected to have their electric variant ready for its next year’s production cycle. 

Exterior

The Maserati Grecale has a captivating and sporty exterior design, embodying Maserati's signature blend of luxury and performance. It is a compact luxury SUV with a strong and athletic stance. The front end showcases a prominent grille, featuring Maserati's iconic Trident logo, flanked by sleek LED headlights that provide both style and excellent visibility. The hood features sculpted lines, further accentuating its dynamic appearance. Moving towards the sides, the Grecale has clean and flowing lines, exuding a sense of motion and agility. It has a coupe-like roofline, which gives it a sporty and aerodynamic silhouette. Additionally, the SUV offers a range of alloy wheel options in various sizes, designed to complement its overall design aesthetic. The Grecale is carefully crafted, that’s why it enhances the overall sense of luxury and exclusivity.

Interior

Inside, you can expect a luxurious and well-appointed cabin that reflects Maserati's attention to detail and craftsmanship. The Grecale offers plush and supportive seats, upholstered in premium leather. The seats do give you ample of legroom and headroom for both front and rear passengers, ensuring a comfortable ride. Maserati is known for using fine materials in their vehicles, and the Grecale follows this tradition. You can expect a combination of leather, wood, metal accents, and soft-touch surfaces, all meticulously crafted to create a refined and luxurious ambiance.

This car also has a host of advanced technological features, which includes a digital instrument cluster that provides relevant driving information, as well as a touchscreen infotainment system situated prominently on the centre console. The infotainment system has connectivity options, smartphone integration, and support for various multimedia functions. Maserati has a great reputation for delivering exceptional audio experiences in their vehicles and this lives up to the hype with its immersive audio quality.

How it drives

This drive programme had us heading out of Wingers Maserati right into the busy Auckland morning traffic. Our first stop was a coffee shop in Warkworth, where I had to make the difficult move of relinquishing the top spec Grecale I had been driving in this first leg of the programme. It was also, at this point of the driver change, I had to swap into the passenger seat once we set off to find the GT parked around the corner, which wasn’t hard as it certainly stood out.

We scanned the QR code, and we were off in transit to Kaukapakapa enduring some of the uneven roads in the north island and the GT never let us down, it seemed to drift effortless thought the tight sweeping corners and array of one-way bridges.

Going from the top spec racehorse into the 2.0 GT I have to admit that expectations were not high, but the 2.0 GT held its own on and drove beautifully on the drive to our next pitstop. It was here that we made our final swap into the Modena model. I would say that is basically a GT but with a few extra options and a few more cc under its bonnet, compared to the GT.

Conclusion

Our final lap of this drive took us back to Winger Maserati. As we drove back, I soaked in the stunning views from the surrounding countryside. As buildings replaced trees and I found myself in the stop start Auckland traffic, it actually almost seemed  relaxing in such a well built and elegant motor vehicle.

Overall, our thoughts are that the Grecale is an exciting luxury car with an exquisite exterior and interior. Matched to this is the performance of the vehicles and they certainly live up to the hype. The price of the Grecale does start from $120,000 + ORC – so a good chunk of change to pay for this luxury vehicle.