Is the 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore a Good SUV?
- The all-electric Maserati Grecale Folgore retains the style and cachet of its gas-powered siblings but loses its soul with the switch to electric propulsion.
How Does the 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore Compare With Other Electric Luxury SUVs?
- The Grecale Folgore is far more stylish and conventional to use than any of Mercedes-Benz’s electric SUVs, but it can’t touch the range, roominess or value of the new Lucid Gravity.
If you’re an average member of the general public, Maserati is right up there in the rarified air shared by Italian names like Fendi, Ferrari, Gucci, Lamborghini, Prada and a host of others. If you work in the automotive industry, though, you understand that Maserati is just one of the many brands under the Stellantis organization’s umbrella alongside the likes of Ram, Jeep, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat and Alfa Romeo. The vehicles all share components and platforms across brands, so a Maserati’s interior electronics will look familiar to anyone who’s driven, for instance, a Dodge Hornet. But the general public doesn’t know this; they see Maserati as special, rare, exotic and unique … if, that is, they think about Maserati at all — which, to be frank, isn’t as frequent an occurrence as Stellantis would like.
Related: 2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore Quick Spin: Fork, Meet Outlet
The SUV you see here is the 2025 Maserati Grecale, which we’ve driven before in Trofeo trim. That car was equipped with a hot, hot, hot 523-horsepower, twin-turbo 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6 engine that’s shared with the Maserati MC20 supercar. This time, we drove the new 2025 Grecale Folgore, meaning that sonorous, gorgeous V-6 has been replaced with a fully electric powertrain (“Folgore,” which means “lightning” in Italian, is Maserati-speak for an electric vehicle). We had a week with the new Grecale Folgore to see if a Maserati remains as sexy and desirable when a big part of what makes it special is gone — and the answer just might be why you aren’t likely to see many Folgores at your local Cars and Coffee.
How Much Does a Maserati Grecale Cost?
The Italy-built Grecale comes in several trims, all of which have standard all-wheel drive. The base model is the Grecale, which is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder making 325 hp. A step up the trim ladder is the slightly nicer Grecale Modena, which uses the same powertrain but adds more equipment. The Grecale Trofeo is the top gas-powered model, featuring a 523-hp, twin-turbo 3.0-liter V-6 and all the requisite go-fast and stop-fast equipment upgrades. Topping things off, though, is the electric Grecale Folgore, which makes 542 hp with its twin-motor powertrain. All prices below include a destination charge of $1,995.
- Grecale: $79,895
- Modena: $86,495
- Trofeo: $119,495
- Folgore: $121,895
There’s a clear price difference between the lesser four-cylinder-powered models and the higher-powered V-6 and electric versions: A staggering $33,000 extra for the Trofeo’s V-6 engine, more aggressive brakes, styling, and other baubles and bits is quite a leap. By contrast, there isn’t much daylight at all between the Trofeo and the Folgore in terms of price and equipment, making your higher-performance choice really a matter of preference. Do you want a rorty-snorty Italian V-6 or whisper-silent electric power? (Spoiler alert: You want the noise.)
Still Looks Dynamite
The switch to making the Grecale an EV did nothing to negatively affect how good it looks. It shares its Giorgio platform with Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio SUV and Giulia sedan, as well as the Maserati GranTurismo coupe and GranCabrio convertible, so it has an excellent sporting pedigree. The Grecale’s styling hasn’t changed since it was introduced for the 2023 model year, and that’s perfectly fine; it’s beautiful, with flowing curves, muscular lines and excellent proportions (as long as you’re running some bigger wheels and tires, like my test vehicle’s 21-inch rims).
The changes that make the gas-powered Trofeo into the electric Folgore are minimal — you wouldn’t even know the Folgore was the electric version if not for the lack of a tailpipe (and the “Folgore” script on the fenders). Because it’s practically identical to the gas version, the only people who’ll know you’ve opted for the battery-powered version will be you and the valet at whatever restaurant you’re heading to for dinner. If you’re looking for a distinctive, tell-the-world-what-you-bought electric luxury SUV, this isn’t it. If you’re looking to fly under the radar in style, here you go.
Gone Is the Magic Motor
OK, here’s the hard truth: A Maserati without a thumping, raspy, beating heart of an internal combustion engine could be anything. It could be a Genesis. It could be a really nice Ford. The biggest factor that makes a Maserati distinctive — and, in my opinion, one of the main reasons for buying one — is the soul imparted by an Italian-tuned gas engine. Maybe it’s ancient thinking, but hearing that throaty growl when you start it up is a huge part of the Maserati experience — as is feeling the acceleration violently push you back in your seat as the engine sings a mechanical symphony designed specifically to trigger a primal part of your psyche.
The Folgore has none of that. Oh, it has the acceleration — a massive EV-style surge right off the line that’s fantastic, but nothing special. That experience can be had in EVs costing tens of thousands of dollars less. Of course, it’s legitimately quick: Maserati says it can do 0-60 mph in four seconds flat, but that’s nearly half a second slower than the less-powerful-but-lighter V-6 Grecale Trofeo. And it’s accompanied by no noise at all — sound insulation in the Grecale Folgore is excellent — unless you specifically toggle an electronic noise-making function, but that sounds notably artificial. Gone is the Italianate roar of pipes and exhaust, the soul of Maserati for decades. Pour out a grappa for the gas engine.
If for some reason you weren’t interested in Maserati for its glorious engines, there’s a lot to like in the Grecale Folgore. It handles beautifully, with an excellent ride-and-handling balance, although you do feel the extra weight the batteries bring to the party. There’s a 105-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack under the seats that definitely lowers this SUV’s center of gravity, lending it a planted, solid feel. The Grecale Folgore uses a 400-volt system that can DC fast-charge at up to 150 kilowatts, according to Maserati, and has an EPA-rated range of up to 245 miles if you choose the standard 20-inch wheels. Range drops to just 206 miles with the 21-inch wheels. Neither number is great, to be honest, especially if you consider that the much larger Lucid Gravity electric SUV can deliver up to 450 miles of range for more than $20,000 less. Clearly, not being designed from the get-go as an EV has its drawbacks, and one of them is subpar efficiency.
The Grecale Folgore’s sportiness can be dialed up via various drive modes, making it quicker, more responsive and more entertaining (in Sport mode) or calmer and more efficient (in Max Range). But it’s always smooth, calm and responsive. The regenerative braking system can be adjusted to four levels of operation using the flappy paddles behind the steering wheel that are used to shift gears on gas models. The brakes are plenty strong on their own, however, even when you’re not engaging in more aggressive one-pedal-style driving.
I have no complaints at all about how the Grecale Folgore drives: It’s smooth, quick, entertaining and luxurious, as befits its price. It’s also utterly devoid of soul due to the elimination of its gasoline powertrain, leaving it feeling unlike any Maserati I’ve ever tried — and just like every other electric luxury SUV I’ve driven. The specialness that the Grecale Trofeo’s glorious twin-turbo V-6 brings to the experience is simply missing.
That (Mostly) Lovely Maserati Interior
At least you’ll enjoy the cabin as you’re whooshing around town in silence. Just like other versions of the Grecale, the Folgore’s interior is just as lovely as ever. High-quality materials abound, with top-notch stitched leather covering sculpted shapes. My only major complaint remains the overuse of shiny black plastic for surfaces that get touched — like most of the center of the dash, which is made up of screens and a push-button gear selector.
The fact that the only buttons on the dash are for the gear selector is also frustrating; putting all the climate and audio controls into touchscreens is awful and distracting, eliminating any luxurious feel that operating such systems might have imparted. This is a trend started by the German luxury automakers, and it’s spread well beyond them — like a virus, and we all wish it would end. Nothing about a touchscreen imparts luxury, and using a tablet computer while driving down the highway is a distraction disaster waiting to happen.
Comfort, however, is not an issue at all. Despite being a smaller mid-size SUV, there’s plenty of room for two up front, and even the backseat has adequate head- and legroom for adults. It’s not as big back there as the larger Maserati Levante SUV, but it’s acceptable for shorter trips. Visibility is excellent in all directions thanks to an upright seating position, but it does feel as if you’re sitting unnaturally high in the Grecale; the driver’s seat isn’t low enough to align well with the dashboard, so you have to look and reach down to operate things. The seats are firmly bolstered and padded in the European style, but overall, the interior is a decent place to be.
You Have to Really Want an Electric Maserati SUV
In the Grecale Trofeo, the performance of the snarling engine, fantastic handling, sharp chassis and fun-to-drive factor made up for the fact that the interior had some unfortunate shortcomings. In the Grecale Folgore, that captivating engine is missing, leaving you with an entirely different experience. It’s still very nice to drive and looks fantastic, and people will still be impressed you showed up in a Maserati. And with an as-tested price of $132,285, you won’t see one on every street corner, so exclusivity is all but assured.
But this Maserati’s EV powertrain, while itself faultless and blisteringly quick, turns the personality of the Italian SUV on its head. You have to really, really want the styling and cachet of the Maserati brand — without the joy of its gasoline powertrains — for the Grecale Folgore to make sense in America (it might make more sense in Europe or China, where EV markets are very different). If that sounds like you, go for it. Personally, I think I’d stick with the Trofeo trim and its gorgeous V-6.
More Maserati Coverage From Cars.com:
- 2024 Maserati GranCabrio Trofeo Quick Spin: The Perfect L.A. Touring Car
- Maserati Track Day: We Hit Circuit of the Americas in Four Fast Maseratis
- 2024 Maserati GranTurismo Review: Beyond Next-Gen
- 2026 Maserati MCPura Is a More Comfortable, More Limited GT2 Stradale
- Shop for a 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore Near You
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