Maserati Grecale Trofeo

Maserati is on something of a roll; might its new mid-sized SUV deliver the volume sales it needs?

- JETHRO BOVINGDON

WE LIKE THE MASERATI MC20. A LOT. From a standing start, the boys and girls from Bologna have designed, developed and produced a clean-sheet supercar that competes with McLaren and Ferrari and needs no excuses. It's an unlikely and heart-warming story and, perhaps, a sign that the lustre of the Trident will survive for another generation or two.

However, Maserati can't survive with the MC20 alone. In fact, this is a company that needs and wants volume. Hence the Levante, which has been moderately successful since its launch in 2016 but isn't exactly denting Cayenne or Range Rover sales. Hence the Ghibli saloon, which has hardly troubled Mercedes or BMW dealers as they shift E-classes and 5-series with great success despite the market dominance of SUVs. The latest model that might, finally, give Maserati the sales success it wants is the D-segment SUV you see here. It's called the Grecale. Sorry for going all What Car? on you there.

Essentially, the Grecale is a Porsche Macan rival that's based on a stretched version of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio chassis. The idea is that the Grecale balances absolute sportiness with a luxurious GT flavour and a bit of old-school Maserati glamour. A complex target then, and one that's difficult to achieve but wonderfully realised in the MC20. If the Grecale can nail the formula in a mid-sized SUV then Maserati could really be onto something. This market is huge and continues to grow apace.