It’s been only four years since Maserati joined the SUV market with the Levante, and the Italian brand confirmed that it will introduce a second hauler in 2021. The midsize Levante will be joined by a smaller, compact-sized SUV that will share underpinnings with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It’s called the Grecale, it will arrive in the first half of 2021, and it will be offered with an all-electric drivetrain alongside the usual gasoline mills.
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The Maserati Grecale could be the company’s sportiest SUV
The Italian firm released a rather shadowy teaser of the vehicle, but it’s pretty obvious that the Grecale looks sportier than the Levante. It features a low-slung nose, a coupe-style roofline, and muscular rear haunches.
Some of the visible details, like the headlamps, the taillights, and the bumpers suggest that it won't share many design cues with the Levante.
That’s probably because it will boast Maserati’s brand-new design language, which debuted with the MC20 and will trickle down into the upcoming GranTurismo. Here’s a lightened up view that shows off a few more details:
The Maserati Grecale is named after a wind
Not surprising, huh? Like most Maseratis before it, the Grecale carries the name of a wind. Grecale is one of eight winds that occur in the Mediterranean Sea. These strong and cool winds mostly affect the island of Malta, but it can also hit other areas of the Western Mediterranean. The Levante is also named after a Mediterranean wind, as is the Maserati Mistral. The Volkswagen Scirocco also bears the name of a wind from this area.
The Maserati Grecale is part of the company’s new electrification plan
Maserati doesn’t offer electric vehicles yet, but it already introduced a hybrid version of the Ghibli sedan. EVs are well underway, though, as Maserati is already working on an electric powertrain.
The first EVs will be based on the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio models, scheduled to arrive in 2021.
The newly unveiled MC20 sports car will also offer an all-electric version, as will the Grecale. The SUV is also scheduled to break cover in the spring of 2021, but the all-electric version will most likely arrive in 2022.
The Maserati Grecale will compete against premium compact SUVs
The Grecale will join the premium compact SUV market, which is already packed with plenty of options. Maserati’s number one rival here is the Porsche Macan, but the Grecale will also compete with higher-end versions of the BMW X3, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Jaguar F-Pace. The Grecale may also overlap with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but the latter will be aimed at slightly more affordable versions of the SUVs mentioned above. The electric Grecale will probably go against the BMW iX3, Mercedes-Benz EQC, and the Jaguar E-Pace.
