2023 Maserati Grecale - Interior and Exterior Details

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Powertrain and driving experience

The Grecale's six-cylinder 3.0-liter twin-turbo engine revolves around Maserati Twin Combustion (MTC) technology, which made its first appearance on the Nettuno engine, the driving force behind the MC20 with technology inherited from Formula One, based on pre-chamber architecture.

More than a technological evolution, the Grecale engines - to be constructed and assembled at the Termoli plants - are the true forerunners of the Nettuno and this new family of powertrains.

Compared to the MC20 Nettuno, the six-cylinder Grecale comes with a wet sump rather than a dry one. But most of all, it is an engine fitted with cylinder deactivation, with completely redesigned and optimised technology. In certain operating conditions, the right cylinder bank can be deactivated, with its entire valve train kept disabled with a system of collapsible tappets: a result achieved with a different oil circuit and the use of cutting-edge components. A complete redesign, due to the inclusion of a dual chamber and therefore new dimensions in the crown of the Maserati Grecale's engine.

The MTC engine used in the Grecale shows how technology created for Formula One, then mounted onto a super sports car with extraordinary performance such as the MC20, can also be exploited to improve the performance and efficiency of an SUV.

Although it provides for outstanding performance, the technology used pushes consumption down to the levels of a subcompact and significantly reduces CO2 emissions.

The standout in this new V6 engine is the combustion system previously unveiled in the MC20, a solution made possible by the passive pre-chamber system that ignites the fuel in a separate chamber.

As the flames spread, combustion is transferred from the pre-chamber to the traditional combustion chamber by means of a series of specially sized perforations. The upshot is faster, standardized and efficient combustion. The true innovation is the use of this component in conjunction with a second spark plug. Together with the dual injection system, this juxtaposes two operational combustion systems within the same engine.

In practice, a pre-chamber combustion system has been combined with the traditional combustion system. This technical solution optimizes performance (horsepower, torque and fuel consumption) in all usage conditions, courtesy of the option of choosing the most suitable combustion mode.

These two systems must therefore be activated individually or simultaneously depending on the demand for torque, without the driver noticing any discontinuity in terms of performance, noise and driving comfort.

The development of a control strategy and specific engine hardware are key elements to ensure and confirm the validity and efficiency of the new combustion system in road-going cars. The result is an engine highly fluid in its delivery, combining a docile character with high performance depending on usage conditions on the road and on the track.

The Mild Hybrid Grecale

In its Mild Hybrid version, the Grecale combines a four-cylinder internal combustion engine with a 48-V mild hybrid system. Maserati has selected a hybrid solution that aims most of all at improving performance, while simultaneously improving fuel economy. The same engine excellence and performance of every Maserati model is maintained, although consumption is reduced, making the hybrid Grecale even more efficient than its counterparts fitted with the V6 engines.

The Maserati hybrid system consists of four components: a Belt Starter Generator (BSG), a 48-V battery, an e-Booster and a DC/DC converter. The BSG acts as an alternator, charging the battery located in the trunk, which in turn powers the e-Booster fitted to the engine. The engine features dual turbochargers, where the internal combustion component is combined with the e-Booster, powered by either the BSG or the battery. An electric compressor has been included in the car to compensate for the lack of a conventional turbocharger in the early engine cycles, when the electric motor comes into play.

In the Grecale's class - as a mild hybrid SUV with a BSG and a booster, it is unique, given that the hybrid engine is commonly only used to reduce consumption. Conversely, this solution gives a further boost even when the engine is running at full capacity in Sport mode, when all the benefits of performance can be exploited. In Normal mode, it is used to balance fuel economy and performance.

Even in models fitted with a mild hybrid engine, the Maserati Grecale will, to all intents and purposes remain a Maserati, including for its sound that retains the usual characteristics of any other Trident-brand car, despite being a hybrid. From the moment you get into a hybrid Maserati, you still hear the unmistakable sound of a Maserati engine.