Porsche Out, Maserati In? The Updated 2027 Maserati Grecale Is a Natural Macan Substitute
Porsche has stopped building the gas-powered version of the Macan, its bestselling compact SUV. While that's a sad fact for enthusiast drivers like us who appreciate both the Macan's practical SUV form factor and its stellar driving dynamics, there's one marque in the automotive world that sees the pending absence as an opportunity: Maserati.
The Italian automaker with the exotic trident badge has made updates to its Grecale SUV for 2027 that increase value and driving fun, and the result is a performance-oriented crossover that's primed to fill in for the missing Porsche. To further sweeten the deal, the Grecale's price of entry lowers to a hair under $80,000 thanks to a new base model that joins the Modena and Trofeo trims for 2027.
Even at the base level, the Grecale's interior is more premium than the Macan's, with fine materials and an elegant design. It also gets standard equipment that would be optional on the Porsche, including a stitched faux-leather dashboard cover, power-adjustable front seats with memory settings, 20-inch wheels, and the twin-turbo V-6 that now covers the entire lineup.
In terms of changes for this year, the 2027 model sports sharper front and rear styling and receives minor interior improvements—namely, a revised steering wheel design, a new push-button gear selector, and a new digital dash clock that can also be made to display performance info or a compass.
Although the Modena lacks the grunt of the top-level 523-hp Trofeo trim, it still rips, especially in Sport mode. The chassis is balanced, and the Grecale feels light on its feet in the same way the Macan does. The steering, while satisfyingly light and responsive, doesn't have quite the same feedback as the Porsche's helm, but it's not far off. The twisty roads in the foothills of the Julian Alps are a perfect place to test the Grecale's mettle, where its throaty V-6 exhaust note and snappy handling proved genuinely entertaining.
After breaking a sweat over several miles of curvy tarmac, the Grecale puttered through sleepy Slovenian villages with hushed poise. The same muted ambiance is present during highway cruising, with a comfortable, well-damped ride in the more relaxed GT mode.
Take that time to appreciate the cabin's premium materials and good fit and finish. Thick leather upholstery, open-pore wood trim, and genuine metal accents adorn the Modena's cabin. Tech features are smartly interwoven into the interior design, with the one misstep being the slanted climate-control touch panel, which is not as intuitive to use while driving as physical buttons or knobs would be.
The infotainment system itself is modern, functional, and features a high-resolution center display and matching digital gauge cluster. In-dash navigation is standard, and we used it extensively to avoid getting lost in central Europe. The only bugaboo we noticed was an on-screen navigation arrow that, on occasion, didn't represent the Grecale's actual road position, leading to missed roundabout exits or abrupt last-second corrections to avoid wandering off course.
Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, which will likely mean most drivers will default to their phone's map functions anyway. In addition to the digital gauge cluster and dash-mounted infotainment display, the new dash clock can serve as a quick-look info center too; in addition to several digital clock faces, it can display the aforementioned performance figures and compass, as well as a g-meter.
The $86,495 Modena trim represents a sizable step-up in price from the base Grecale, but it comes with plenty of add-ons to make the extra $6600 worth it. You'll get 21-inch wheels, a 14-speaker Sonus Faber stereo, a power-adjustable steering column, heated front seats, blind-spot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control.
To reach that level of equipment on a Macan (with V-6 power), you would have had to spring for the top GTS model, which at a $10,000 premium over the Modena makes the Maserati seem like a relative bargain. Some might suggest saving even more money and going instead with a BMW X3 M50 or a Mercedes-AMG GLC53, and that'd be a valid recommendation as both of those SUVs offer similar performance. But they lack the Maserati's panache and rarity, which definitely adds to the updated Grecale's charms.
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Specifications
Specifications
2027 Maserati Grecale
Vehicle Type: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon
PRICE
Base: Grecale V6, $79,895; Modena V6, $86,495; Trofeo V6, $117,495
ENGINE
twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, port and direct fuel injection
Displacement: 183 in3, 2992 cm3
Power: 385 or 523 hp
Torque: 369 or 457 lb-ft
TRANSMISSION
8-speed automatic
DIMENSIONS
Wheelbase: 114.2 in
Length: 191.9–192.0 in
Width: 76.7–77.9 in
Height: 65.5–66.4 in
Cargo Volume: 20 ft3
Curb Weight (C/D est): 4650 lb
PERFORMANCE (C/D EST)
60 mph: 3.6–4.8 sec
100 mph: 9.2–10.4 sec
1/4-Mile: 11.6–12.8 sec
Top Speed: 162–177 mph
EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST)
Combined/City/Highway: 20/18/25 mpg
Drew Dorian is a lifelong car enthusiast who has also held a wide variety of consumer-focused positions throughout his career, ranging from financial counselor to auto salesperson. He has dreamed of becoming a Car and Driver editor since he was 11 years old—a dream that was realized when he joined the staff in April 2016. He’s a born-and-raised Michigander and learned to drive on a 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. His automotive interests run the gamut from convertibles and camper vans to sports cars and luxury SUVs.