THREE PRONGED ASSAULT

MASERATI IS GOING MACAN HUNTING WITH ITS FIRST MEDIUM-SIZED LUXURY SUV. BUT IS THE GRECALE BETTER THAN THE UNDERWHELMING LEVANTE?

- JEZ SPINKS

JUST AS THE Maserati brand had been seemingly headed for an extended period of fresh-metal dormancy, a whirlwind of product activity is sweeping through Modena.

After recently playing a couple of halo cards with the MC20 supercar and related Cielo Spyder, the trident badge is now dealing itself into the volume territory of luxury cars.

The Grecale, the latest Maserati to be named after a wind, is the company's first midsized SUV.

It's taken seven years since the Maserati Levante arrived as a rival to the Porsche Cayenne, and now the Grecale must hit the ground running against another Porsche SUV - and one that already has nearly a decade of success under its belt: the Macan.

Maserati isn't relying on either undercutting or price parity, though. A three-model range starts with the GT at $109,500 where the Macan kicks off at $95,300. The mid-pack Modena we're testing costs from $128,000, and the flagship, V6-powered Trofeo sits at $165K before on-roads, where a six-cylinder Macan is available from $119,000.

Add between a reasonable $2150 and an eyebrow-raising $50,500 if you want any other colour besides Bianco white.

The GT and Modena share a mild-hybrid 2.0-litre four-cylinder, which serves up an extra 23kW for 243kW in the Modena (but an identical 450Nm) and a three-tenths shaving off the 0-100km/h claim, at 5.3 seconds.

Other extras on the mechanical front include a limited-slip differential and electronically adjustable dampers, while the boots step up from size 19s to 20s. They prop up a body shape that has hints of Macan at the front - especially the headlight shapes - and can easily be confused with the Levante at first glance. It could perhaps be more distinctive beyond the famous forks and tri-fender vents, though the proportions are good.