After the theatrical debut of its all-new supercar – the MC20, the Maserati brand has released more details about another all-new vehicle it will be adding to its lineup by 2023. Recently, MoparInsiders has discussed some details about a new midsized sport utility vehicle (SUV), that will play a key role in the brand’s global development.
Named after the fierce north-east wind of the Mediterranean Sea, the new SUV will wear the Grecale name. It follows a long-standing practice of naming its cars after the world’s most famous winds. It all began in 1963, with the legendary Mistral. This was followed by Ghibli, Bora, Merak, and Khamsin.
The all-new Maserati Grecale will utilize the Giorgio-architecture that currently underpins Alfa Romeo Stelvio. This past week, we saw spy photos of a few Alfa Romeo Stelvio bodied mules wearing a Maserati grille under heavy black vinyl camouflage.
Our sources are indicating that the base engine for the Grecale will be the same as the recently announced Maserati Ghibli Hybrid, a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four-cylinder from the FCA Global Medium Engine (GME) family. Power should be identical with 330 horsepower and torque of 450 Nm (332 ft.-lb) delivered from just 1,500 rpm. The 2.0-liter engine will be paired with a 48-volt belt starter generator and an additional electric supercharger (e-Booster), supported by a battery, similar to the eTorque system found on the Ram 1500.
We are also being told that in addition to the belt starter generator, there will be a full plug-in hybrid version utilizing the GME-T4 engine as well. This one is rumored to be in excess of 400 horsepower when the internal combustion engine and electric motor output are combined.
The Grecale will also bring Level 3 automated driving to the Maserati lineup. As exciting as that may be, it will also be the first Maserati to feature a so-called virtual cockpit. The virtual cockpit will feature a fully digital 12.4-inch customizable screen, which will be able to show a navigation map on it.
We are expecting the Maserati Grecale SUV to hit the market sometime in 2022 as a 2023 model. It will also join another Giorgio-based performance SUV for the Dodge brand, expanding FCA’s portfolio of midsized SUVs on the rear-wheel-drive Giorgio architecture.
