Bet you don’t see camouflaged wheels every day.
Maserati’s rejuvenation process started before parent company FCA merged with PSA to form Stellantis. Now part of the world’s fourth-largest car manufacturer, the sporty Italian brand is pressing ahead with its lineup overhaul. After expanding the family to include the MC20 mid-engined supercar, the company with the Trident badge is preparing a more important model if we’re strictly talking about sales volume.
Slotting below the larger Levante, the new Grecale will be roughly the same size as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio we can also see in these spy shots from our friend Walter Vayr. Several prototypes of Maserati’s second SUV have been spotted all covered up, even the wheels. Chunky air vents at the front and quad exhausts at the rear denote this isn’t your typical boring SUV.
Gallery: 2022 Maserati Grecale new spy photos
Peeking through the camo are headlights that seem to bear somewhat of a resemblance to those of the MC20. The taillights have a flatter design compared to those of the Levante and are bisected by a metallic piece of trim nearly as wide as the tailgate. Overall, despite the heavy disguise, you can easily tell the Grecale looks substantially different than the Levante. At the same time, we’re getting the impression it’s way more than just a rebadged Stelvio.
Under the hood, expect to see Maserati’s mild-hybrid 2.0-liter turbocharged gasoline engine to power the base model. A hotter derivative could employ a detuned version of the Nettuno engine inside the MC20 where the twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 makes a healthy 621 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque. Logic tells us the Grecale will be more powerful than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio with its twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 pumping out 505 hp and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm).
A fully electric powertrain is also on the agenda as Maserati has vowed to introduce an EV version of all new products going forward. The combustion-engined Grecale should be revealed in the following months seeing as how the teaser campaign is already well underway.
As to why there’s camouflage on an Alfa Romeo Giulia, we’re tempted to believe it’s an early test mule for the next-generation GranTurismo, which was teased by Maserati last week with its final production body.
Source:
Walter Vayr / Facebook
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