Maserati last fall announced it would introduce a new SUV slotting in below the Levante and to be called a “Grecale.” In keeping with Maserati’s penchant for naming models after winds, a habit that started in 1963 with the Mistral, the name comes from a wind in the Mediterranean.
On Thursday, the automaker provided a first look at a prototype and confirmed an arrival later in 2021. We already know the Grecale will be a small SUV sharing its Giorgio platform with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, so it’s no surprise the proportions are similar between the two vehicles. Production will also be handled at the same site where the Stelvio is built, Stellantis’ plant in Cassino, Italy.
The Grecale will compete with the Porsche Macan and some of the high-end versions of the BMW X3, Jaguar F-Pace and Mercedes-Benz GLC. Alfa Romeo’s own Stelvio could also be an alternative for some buyers.
It isn’t clear what internal-combustion powertrains will be offered in the Grecale, but we know the SUV, like all new Maseratis, will offer the choice of battery-electric power. Maserati’s electric powertrain, branded Folgore, Italian for “lightning,” will consist of a three-motor system with one motor up front and two at the rear.
The electric option won’t be available at the Grecale’s launch, though. Maserati’s first electric car will be a version of the redesigned GranTurismo. The redesigned GranTurismo arrives in 2021 and its electric version will arrive in 2022. Also arriving in 2021 will be a convertible version of the recently revealed MC20 supercar.
Looking further out, Maserati will launch a redesigned GranTurismo Convertible (GranCabrio in other markets), as well as redesigned versions of the Quattroporte and Levante. The entire renewal of the Maserati lineup is expected to be completed by the end of 2023.