We compare the seasoned Porsche Macan against its new rival, the Maserati Grecale.
The Maserati Grecale is a bit of a late comer to the luxury crossover market but its chief rival, the Porsche Macan has the opposite issue – it has been around for a very long time – almost a decade, in fact.
So if you’re shopping for a new Macan now and don’t want to wait a year for the new model, is the recently launched Maserati Grecale a good alternative? Let’s find out.
Dimensions and Practicality
In terms of size, neither of these crossovers are great for families, but if you’re only moving kids around, they’ll work just fine. The Grecale was aimed at besting the Macan in terms of dimensions and had the benefit of coming later, so Maserati has an advantage. The Maserati Grecale is 4846mm long, 1948mm wide, 1670mm tall and has a wheelbase of 2901mm.
Compared to the Macan, the Grecale is 165mm longer with a 94mm longer wheelbase, which will be noticeable. The width and height difference is milder at 25mm and 46mm more respectively. The cargo space of the Grecale is also much larger than the Macan’s.
The Grecale offers 535L of bootspace despite the presence of a hybrid battery while the Macan only manages under 490L without any electrification taking up volume. If every inch matters, then the Maserati Grecale is the clear winner here.
It’s also worth noting that the Porsche Macan first debuted on the VW Group MLB platform ago 10 years ago while the Maserate Grecale sits on the Giorgio platform, which has been around since 2015 but was updated for the more modern specifications of the Grecale.
Power and Performance
In terms of power, the Macan is a matured product and over its lifespan, Porsche has added more and more powertrain options.
In Malaysia, the Porsche Macan is currently available as the Macan, Macan S or Macan GTS with either the 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo or the 2.9L V6 turbo, both with a 7-speed PDK sending power to all four wheels. The latter of these engines is available in two output levels. While there are diesel options and other 6-cylinder models available through the grey market and used market, the Macan was never sold with a hybrid powertrain anywhere.
In stark contrast, the Maserati Grecale arrives as the ‘GT’ model with a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine and a hybrid electric drive. An 8-speed automatic gearbox sends power to all four wheels.
This means that the Grecale essentially bridges the gap between the base model Macan and the V6 model in terms of power while also beating it in terms of efficiency. Looking at the figures, the Grecale offers 300PS and 450Nm of torque while the base Macan model offers 265PS and 400Nm of torque.
In terms of acceleration and top speed, both of these are very impressive. The Grecale manages a 0-100km/h time of just 5.6 seconds while having a top speed of 240km/h. The Macan takes 6.2 seconds to complete the century sprint and runs out of breath at 232km/h.
Just looking at the base model figures, the Grecale edges out the Macan. And may be better on fuel due to its BSG mild hybrid setup. However, if you’re looking for a 6-cylinder model, the Macan S and Macan GTS beat the Grecale by a large margin. The Macan S has 380PS and 520Nm of torque on tap while the GTS model takes the figure up to 440PS and 550Nm of torque. 0-100km/h times are 4.6 seconds and 4.3 seconds respectively. Maserati does have a 6-cylinder model to fight these off, but they’re not in Malaysia yet, so we won’t mention their stats here.
Value and Equipment
Here’s where things get a bit complicated. Unlike the premium market occupied by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volvo and Lexus, the luxury market is governed by subjective preferences. One person may find German luxury to be sterile and prefer the flair of an Italian-made vehicle. Another person may feel that the Italians have yet to meet the Germans in terms of build quality and equipment. One man’s meat is another man’s poison.
Objectively speaking though, the base model of the Porsche Macan, while less powerful without a mild hybrid element, is significantly less expensive. In Malaysia, it’s available from RM433,154. The Maserati Grecale GT starts at RM598,000, which is closer to the much more powerful Porsche Macan S’s price tag of RM623,593.
Sime Darby Auto Performance offers the Macan with a 2-year warranty with free maintenance thrown in for those 2 years as well. Naza Italia offers the Grecale with a 3-year warranty. Which package is more appealing will be up to the customer. As mentioned previously, the luxury car market is less about value-for-money than the premium segment, where a 4-5 year warranty would have been a more common sight.
Another thing to consider would be the exclusivity of the vehicle. The Porsche Macan set the benchmark in this class but today is quite a common sight – a symptom of its own success in this particular field. The Grecale, on the other hand, is a fresh product that has only just been launched – it could appeal to those who prefer to lead than to follow.
