More Grand Tourer than Sports Car
It is assumed, when Maserati builds a car, it will be fast, quick and oozing Italian sexiness. Does the all-new 2025 Grecale Folgore SUV fill the fantasy? Fast: yes. Quick: yes. Sexy: as much as a SUV can be.
Folgore is Italian for lightning which the Merriam-Webster Thesaurus says is synonymous with rapid, brisk, hot, quick, speedy, rush, ultrafast (the list goes on) and breathtaking. Our take on if all of these accurately describes the Grecale Folgore is—“sort of.”
Smooth Power Delivery
The Grecale Folgore, incorporating Formula E technology, has dual motors powering all four wheels. It’s quick off the line with 550 horsepower and 605 pound-feet of torque turning 0-60 mph runs in about 3.9 seconds. This time doesn’t satisfy armchair critics that feel—if non-sexy Italian EVs can be this quick, the Grecale Folgore should be faster. This line of thinking is odd as the Grecale Folgore is plenty fast for any car, let alone an SUV.
There are six driver-selectable drive modes designed to adjust the car’s performance and driving attributes. The most efficiency comes from Comfort, GT is for balanced driving in acceleration and handling, Sport delivers dynamic performance with boosted sound and torque vectoring and Corsa for an extreme experience, typically for track use. If you want to get a little dirty, there is the Off-Road setting, which adjusts the suspension for increased ground clearance and prepares all 5,476 pounds of Italian goodness for some rough roads.
The acceleration whoosh was exhilarating, but the Grecale Folgore is more luxury grand tourer than a sports car thanks to the acoustic window glass and sound-deadening materials.
Maserati cleverly transitions owners from the roar of a gasoline engine to the silence of an EV. Artificial engine sounds change based on which drive mode is selected, being more pronounced as you go from Comfort to GT to Sport. When in Corsa, the loudest and most aggressive sounds appear. Some electric vehicle owners find the faux engine sounds to be annoying and non-essential to a good driving experience. Others like them. Take a test drive and see for yourself.
Road Time
The Grecale Folgore is well-balanced with the all-wheel drive and torque vectoring providing cornering stability, increased traction and an overall more controlled and engaging driving experience. The front double wishbone and a rear multi-link has adaptive dampers to adjust the suspension for comfort or performance.
The handling and ride began on Lampo alloy wheels ($2,190 option) with the staggered 255/40/21 front and 295/35/21 rear Pirelli Scorpion Zero all-season tires. They never lost grip or chirped as we aggressively pushed some twisties. The near 50:50 weight balance, with the batteries placed below the floor, gave a low center of gravity, providing for an engaged driving feel of being connected to the road.
Slowing and stopping was strong and precise with the anti-lock, six piston up front and four in rear Brembo performance brakes with ventilated rotors and ventilated discs. The real fun comes in when mastering the regenerative braking, which works by reversing the electric motors when slowing or stopping. The reversing motors become generators that convert kinetic energy back into electrical energy, which is then stored in the battery. Learning to modulate the slowing with your fingertips on the paddles is the smoothest way to drive an electric vehicle, and is what we used during most of our time behind the wheel.
Unique Maserati Design
The deep-set concave grille sporting the trident logo immediately says this is a Maserati. The imposing design has body-colored bumpers with auto-leveling adaptive matrix LED headlights. The lightly sculpted sides are smooth with the exception of three ports, a “Folgore” badge written in script on the front fenders and the Trident logo badge on the C-pillar. The near-flat roof has a small shark fin antenna leading to a diminutive visor over the hands-free power lift gate. Tucking the wiper under the visor would have been appropriate for this premium SUV. The LED taillights sit above the “Grecale” badge.
The Grecale Folgore comes in six color options: Nero Noctis Black, Bianco Astro Metallic, Blu Modena, Rame Folgore, Rose Gold Liquid Metal and our matte Grigio Lava Opaca ($3,720 option).
Truly Gorgeous, High-End Interior
The iconic Maserati analog-style clock, sitting top-and-center on the dash, conveys history and class. The red and black interior color fits the Maserati brand perfectly. Maserati designers carefully connect Italian craftsmanship with modern technology.
The red and black color scheme is found on the lower dash and door panels with the seats, covered in soft, supple red leather ($2,300 option) proving stark contrast. The black, heated and leather-wrapped sport steering wheel has controls for audio, cruise control, the drive modes and the engine Start/Stop button.
The five-seat Grecale Folgore comfortably seats four adults. The power front heated and ventilated seats are 14-way adjustable with 4-way lumbar. There are manual leg extensions for extra comfort. The 40:20:40 rear seat folds for increased cargo space.
The configurable 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster includes gauges and read-outs for the speedometer, G-Meter, temperature, time, trip mileage, compass and tire inflation. It is joined by a 12.3-inch infotainment display sitting above an 8-by-8-inch screen showing the tri-zone automatic climate control system settings and various vehicle functions.
The infotainment screen handles the back-up camera, navigation and data for the performance settings, torque vectoring, traction control and suspension stiffness. The high-premium Sonus Faber audio system ($3,200 option) with 21 speakers and 860 or 1,285 watts of power handle the FM HD radio and SiriusXM and apps, connected services, Alexa Built-in and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The tried-and-tested UConnect user experience software flawlessly handles all the entertainment
Additional features include a digital rearview mirror, wireless phone charging, Wi-Fi hot spot, frameless rearview mirror with Homelink, heated power-folding side mirrors, keyless entry, tire repair kit, ambient interior lighting, power adjustable steering column and an alarm system.
Charging and Range
The Grecele Folgore has a 400-volt system that charges the 105 kWh (95 kWh usable) battery with the Combined Charging System (CCS). There is not an adapter for the North American Charging System (NACS), also known as the Tesla Super Charger Network.
Level 1 – 120V common household outlet) will take more than two days for a full charge
Level 2 – 240V AC charger at 32 amps and 22 kW is 5 hours and 15 minutes
DC fast charger at 150 kW is 38 minutes for a 20% – 80% charge
Driving Range – EPA rated
245 all-electric miles with the 20-inch wheels. EPA rating
206 all-electric miles with the 21-inch wheels. EPA rating
In 220 miles driving around Southern California Clean Fleet Report averaged 2.9 miles per kWH.
Pricing
The 2025 Maserati Grecale comes in four trims (three gas and one electric). These are the base prices, including the $1,995 destination fee.
Grecale $79,895
Modena $86,495
Trofeo $119,495
Folgore $121,895
The 2025 Grecele Folgore Clean Fleet Report drove had a base price of $119,295. With $29,140 in options and the $1,995 destination fee, the final price was $150,430.
The 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore is built at the Maserati plant in Piedimonte San Germano, Italy. The result is the Grecale Folgore, as with all Maserati electric models, is subject to tariff fees and no longer qualifies for any tax rebates. Make sure to speak with your CPA to get all the details.
Warranties
New Car – Four years/50,000 miles
Battery – Eight years/100,000 miles
Bumper-To-Bumper – Four years/50,000 miles
Corrosion/Perforation – Four years/50,000 miles
Roadside Assistance – Four years/50,000 miles
Observations: 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore EV
The attractive exterior design of the 2025 Maserati Grecale Folgore will draw the attention of luxury SUV EV shoppers. All-new for 2025, the Grecale Folgore is the second all-electric model from Maserati, following the exquisite and gorgeous GranCabrio Folgore, which Clean Fleet Report reviewed earlier this year.
The balance of Italian design and the all-electric quick acceleration and performance will be factors catching the eye of someone wanting an SUV that doesn’t blend in. It is almost guaranteed pulling into the valet at the club or restaurant there won’t be another Grecale Folgore in the line-up of luxury SUVs. This is a look at how Maserati wants the world to see their Folgore (electric) models. Puro Italiano!
The Grecale Folgore is fun to drive. There is plenty of power (careful with the accelerator on your in-town milk and egg run) with the adaptive and adjustable suspension and the wide staggered tires. It has a spirited feel, but is it a sport SUV EV?
Our take is—it has plenty of above average performance that will bring smiles to your face, but it is better considered a grand tourer. The cushy air suspension and the sound insulation do their best to cocoon the cabin occupants from the harshness of the road, making it perfect for longer excursions. The all-electric driving range is not the longest nor is the charging speed the fastest, but both are more than adequate for that couple-hundred-mile trip.
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Story and photos by John Faulkner.
[See image gallery at cleanfleetreport.com]
Clean Fleet Report has reviewed these other Maserati cars and our opinion of them only grows.
2025 Maserati GranCabrio Folgore EV
2023 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore EV
2023 Maserati Gracale Modena Mild-Hybrid
2022 Maserati Ghibli Trofeo
2022 Maserati Levante Trofeo
Disclosure
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and other efficient powertrains. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com or by commenting on any of our stories. We answer every comment!
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