The new Maserati Grecale Folgore is an all-electric version of the mid-size SUV of the Grecale brand. This model is extremely important for the Italian carmaker, as the combustion-engined Grecale accounts for 70 percent of Maserati's global sales. The electric car is now on home soil, and our team made its first test drive.
Exterior and interior
Folgore looks almost identical to its DVG brethren. The Maserati grille has been cleverly redesigned, with the vertical elements now transformed into vents that cool the electric drivetrain components. The large vents in the front bumper have body-colored infills, as do the indentations in the rear bumper designed to accommodate the four exhaust pipes of the V6-powered Grecale Trofeo.
The interior is also familiar, differing from the other models in the Grecale range only in details such as the unique relief pattern on the dashboard and with different carbon fiber cladding. The 14-way adjustable sport seats are upholstered in fabric made from recycled nylon fish nets and have laser-engraved detailing.
Engine and driving characteristics
Grecale Folgore also shares a lot of hardware with its LPG counterparts. It rides on a modified version of the Giorgio platform that underpins the rest of the Grecale range, with cast and extruded aluminum subframes at the front and rear of the car that hold the electric motors and provide mounting points for the standard air suspension. And Maserati's engineers have managed to pack the 105 kWh battery under the floor while maintaining the same seating position as the CNG Grecale.
The vehicle is powered by identical synchronous magnetic electric motors mounted on the front and rear axles to provide all-wheel drive. The system power is 550 hp. and torque available the moment you hit the gas pedal. The claimed speed of acceleration for the SUV is from zero to 100 km/h in less than 4.1 seconds, and the maximum is 220 km/h.
The battery powering the e-motors, which has a useful capacity of 96 kWh, consists of 33 six-cell modules, some of which are arranged under the rear seat. The advertised autonomous range of 550 kilometers in the WLTP test cycle is not class-leading, and the Grecale Folgore's 400-volt electrical architecture means slower charging times. The maximum charge rate that the Grecale Folgore battery will accept is 150 kW and is supposed to take 30 minutes to go from a 20 percent state of charge to 80 percent.
By contrast, the batteries in Porsche's all-electric Macan or even Hyundai's Ioniq 5 and Kia's EV6 - all of which have an 800-volt electric architecture - can be taken from 10 percent to 80 percent in 22 minutes, or even for less. Note the double whammy: it takes longer to put lower mileage on a Maserati. Other disadvantages of the electric car are its dynamic characteristics. Although influenced by Formula E technology, the car feels a little clumsy (perhaps due to the heavy battery) and its acceleration is comparable to that of a diesel counterpart.
Conclusion
The test car we were given also impressed us with its steering, which is precise but doesn't provide much feedback. After a bit of experimentation with the car's systems, we found that sport mode was not the best fit for this car. It feels far better after adjusting the springs and dampers back to the softer GT settings. This, along with the regen reduction to zero, makes Grecale Folgore feel most at ease when ridden fast.
