2026 Maserati Grecale Trofeo: The Jersey Turnpike’s Italian Stallion

The 2026 Maserati Grecale Trofeo is a crossover that wears its Italian flamboyance on its sleeve—tri-colored flags, over-the-top exhaust notes, and a name that screams “Mamma mia!” louder than Nonna’s Sunday dinner.

It’s not for everyone, and it’s certainly not cheap for what it delivers, but if you buy into the drama, the Trofeo delivers a driving experience that’s as polarizing as New Jersey itself.

Maserati lent us a Trofeo for a week, and we put it through the wringer—from twisty backroads to the snow-choked Turnpike—with mixed results.

At the heart of the Trofeo is Maserati’s Nettuno twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6, a motor shared with the GranTurismo and MC20 supercars.

In this crossover, it belts out 523 horsepower and 457 pound-feet of torque, routed through an eight-speed ZF automatic and an electronic limited-slip differential to all four wheels.

The 4,650-pound crossover hits 60 mph in 3.6 seconds, according to Maserati—more than enough to embarrass Vinny from the paving stone company next door.

The Trofeo’s party trick is its steering, which is as light and precise as a mother’s stuffed shells.

In Corsa mode, the steering firms up, the suspension stiffens, and the exhaust note turns into a symphony of Italian aggression.

But dial it back to softer settings, and the Trofeo becomes a surprisingly competent daily driver, with 14-way adjustable seats that are snug but supportive.

The driver-assistance suite, including adaptive cruise and lane-keeping assist (with optional Level 2 lane centering), is solid enough for a commute from Bergen County to Manhattan—though you’ll need to keep a finger on the wheel. Where the Trofeo stumbles is in the snow.

Despite an off-road mode and height-adjustable suspension, the Bridgestone Potenza all-season tires and heavily rear-biased AWD system turned a 30-inch snowstorm into a white-knuckle nightmare.

The interior is a mixed bag: rich Italian leather and soft-touch materials abound, but there’s too much piano-black plastic and Stellantis parts-sharing for purists.

The Trofeo’s charm is undeniable—it’s loud, brash, and unapologetically Italian—but it’s also a car that demands you overlook its quirks.

If you’re the kind of driver who sees a 523-HP crossover as a daily necessity, the Trofeo might just be your kind of chaos.