Maserati wants to beat Porsche on an electric compact SUV punch
Porsche has not officially announced when the Electric Macon will arrive, but the general consensus is that it will be unveiled sometime next year with the 2023 launch. Unless the Germans move forward on that schedule, which is not possible due to the current delays on all Porsche, it will not be the only high-end European brand with a new electric crossover on the market. Maserati announced the debut of the new Greek on Tuesday. The compact Sport Utah will debut in three gasoline trims this summer, but the All-Electric Folgor (pronounced Italian for electricity, Fall-Go-Ray or so) should follow next year.
Porsche is still very silent on the details of the Electric Macan replacement, but Maserati is more than happy to bring the facts to the world. The Electric Grille will pack a 105 kWh battery and offer standard all-wheel drive (and most likely a pair of electric motors) for a total of 590 lb-ft of torque. The high-specific gas-powered Grecale Trofeo delivers only 457 lb-ft, so the electric model will be billed as a bunch of performance and luxury winners.
While Stellantis is currently building several new electric platforms, Greckel avoided any of these stupidities for soldiers with the old Giorgio platform. This is the same platform that underlines Alpha’s Stelvio and Giulia, as well as Jeep’s Grand Cherokee. It was rumored to be exiting the platform because it could not accommodate electric or PHEV powertrains, but it seems Italian engineers have figured out how to operate it.
The all-electric Folgor looks like it shares all of its bodywork, including the gas-powered GT, Modena and Trofeo trims. The grille on the front of the car is more concave and partially blocked for aerial gain, and the wheels on the electric model are certainly more aerodynamic, but otherwise it is familiar in the quartet of greels. I like that each model has a badge under the fender portholes and Folgore uses special bronze-colored trim.
Folgore is likely to be slightly more expensive than its gasoline counterparts. The standard Grecale GT starts at 64,995, but the Electric Folgore price hasn’t been delivered yet. If the company has any hopes of competing with Porsche in the EV space, it needs to find a way to keep the starting price at 80 or less. It looks like a sweet spot for a car like this.
