LIGHTNING BOLT (some text hidden) --NONE--

By Jonathan Crouch

With the Grecale Folgore, Maserati brings us its first volume EV. Jonathan Crouch looks at what's on offer.

Ten Second Reviewword count: 38

Maserati's most important EV model right now is this one, the Grecale Folgore. This mid-sized performance SUV is extremely expensive, but also extremely fast and surprisingly covetable. If budget permits, it's a tempting alternative to the German opposition.

Backgroundword count: 103

When a brand like Maserati starts producing electric vehicles, you know the EV revolution is in full swing. The company is making electric 'Folgore'-badged versions of its GranTurismo and MC20 sports cars, but the model we look at here, the Grecale Folgore mid-sized SUV, is vastly more important to the Italian marque. There's not too much of an eco-remit here: 'Folgore' is Italian for 'lightning bolt' and this battery Grecale pulls no performance punches in its efforts to provide a very Latin alternative to its arch rival Porsche's Macan Electric. But there's a high price to pay for the privilege of enjoying it.

Engines and Tech Specword count: 234

Part of the reason you buy Maserati is for the sound it makes, so you'd think the Grecale Folgore would start off at a huge disadvantage to its combustion cousins. Actually, this is less of an issue than you might think because the (unswitchable) sound effects as you drive (from speakers beneath the boot floor) represent what most people think is the best EV sound in the industry. A soundtrack that accompanies frantic performance generated by 275bhp motors front and rear, which together generate 505bhp (27bhp more than a V6 Grecale Trofeo). Enough via the single-speed automatic to thrust this SUV to 62mph in just 4.1s en route to a most un-EV-like top speed of 137mph. But course drive like that and you'll get nowhere near the claimed 311 mile drive range figure. That's not especially class competitive. A Mercedes EQE SUV 500 manages 341 miles, a Porsche Macan Turbo Electric 367 miles. Weight has a lot to do with this Maserati's showing; this Folgore is nearly 2.5 tonnes, 450kg more than a V6 Grecale. Which is why the standard adaptive air suspension has had to be reconfigured and made a whole lot stiffer, something you can vary through the various drive modes. As usual in a Maserati, 'GT' is the best all-round one for the powertrain and 'Sport' for the suspension. Avoid the larger 21-inch wheel option if you value a supple ride.

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