As much as we love the emotional dynamism of Italian cars, we are not blind to a disturbing fact. Unfortunately, Fiat, Alfa and Maserati are all susceptible to launching an entirely new car that is equal, though not particularly superior, to a German one. rival that has existed for years. And since the Italians, unlike the Germans, forget to update their equipment, they are soon left out of the competition. Who would have bought an Alfa Giulietta instead of a Golf at the time of their death in 2020?? The current Alfa Giulia lags behind the 3 Series. The Fiat 500 – petrol and non-electric – has been around for 15 years, almost two generations of VW Polo. And just last year, Maserati ended production of a Granturismo that covered the 997, 991 and 992 generations of the Porsche 911.
If we had no idea about this story, we’d assume that the new Maserati Grecale would be having lunch with the nine-year-old Porsche Macan. This is the last year that the Macan has been a top-of-the-line car during Porsche, as an electric car, will soon be available. Whether it’s auto, as a hedge, the gasoline-powered Macan will continue quietly for other people who aren’t susceptible and make a mistake in adopting battery propulsion. Speaking of which, there will be an all-electric version, also known as Folgore, of the Grecale very soon.
Photography: Mark Riccioni
Meanwhile, Range Rover is turning its attention to plug-in hybrids and we’ve brought in a Velar P400e. As you’d expect, the Velar’s dashboard now features the unique giant touchscreen formula of LR’s latest production cars. Because of its dual powertrain, this Velar is heavier than its rivals here and feels it, but they all match up perfectly in terms of price, and for a corporate car driver, the Velar’s PHEV formula will leave you in limbo for up to 12 cents per cent. BIK. The rest are 37 consistent with the penny. That said, we might not get into too much accounting here, because if you’re in a position to move to EVs for fun or just to reduce your taxes, you now have plenty of comprehensive EV options to choose from. .
What’s missing are inheritance options. The BMW Five Series and Mercedes E-Class are also absent as they are between generations. Audi no longer makes an S6 Avant. Volvo has just pulled the rug out from under all its family cars in Britain. So, our same old recommendation when testing SUVs for the road – “better buy a pickup truck” – falls by the wayside.
The Maserati has the inflated exterior styling that the company specializes in. He is tall and also looks tall. Inside, it’s filled with stitched leather and lots of steel touch points: it’s steel in some cases, steel-looking plastic in others. Most of the time, the quality and sense of opportunity are on point. You get a momentary touch screen. on the console, as the Velar had done before, but that is no longer the case. We like it because it makes more controls visual most of the time. The Grecale is not completely switch-free; Rows of them grow on the front and rear sides of the idler spokes, supported by busy rods. The platform is derived from the Alfa Stelvio, but the wheelbase is longer, making it a spacious car in the rear.
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The Macan is not. The interior is welcoming: sporty at the front and narrow at the rear. Despite the retina-grabbing green paint, it still looks small next to the other two, because it’s smaller and the bodywork is positioned on the wheels. It is only 100 mm shorter than the Grecale. Old Macan didn’t go out with anyone. But this is not the case with most Porsches. This is Wildean: somewhere in Weissach there is an enclosed attic with paintings by everyone except the first Panam and Cayenne.
In fact, the interior of the Macan has been redone. Instead of the diversity of 2014 driving mode buttons around the gear lever, you get a diversity of touchpads with the same functions. Unfortunately, touch-sensitive buttons are less satisfying to use than genuine ones. Switches. Of course, you can erase that black panel more easily, but then you have to do it because it’s still covered in visual fingerprints. But a touchscreen is inherently more modern, so you want to be better. Porsche doesn’t get rid of the forged gear lever, but, overall, its manual position disappeared. Hey? Now opt for the manual with a small button on the guide wheel. Still, you get a very thin and configurable main touchscreen.
MAJOR MACAN IS MISSING. BUT THEN, MOST PORSCHES DON’T
The Velar is another obsessively curated piece of design, like a giant forged decoration with retouched windows, lights, and panel lines. It is an interior as spacious as the Maserati. As usual with a Range Rover, the driving position is high and stately, not low and sporty. The same goes for its comfortable and relaxing seats, where Porsches and Maseratis hang around your torso.
The Velar’s center screen is a slick affair with fun graphics and intuitive logic, but we miss the moment the bottom screen just missed. Well, you get a small storage box instead, but it has a very flimsy plastic lid. The Velar’s entire center console has a third-rate look and feel, squeaking and wobbly when you touch it. There is a point where “reducer” (© G McGovern) changes to “cheap”. Still, it can be a very smart cabin if it comes with the right colors and finishes, but not these.
You can have the Maserati with a new, airy V6 logo, but that brings you to six-figure prices, so here we settle for a 4-cylinder with a mild hybrid. Since he’s opposed to a Porsche V6 and an Al Range Rover with another all-caffeine-based electric motor, he was given a few things to do. Still, some good news is good. It sounds very fruity. But the help of the 48V mild hybrid does nothing to hide the lag of the engine’s outdated turbo, which starts quickly from 3,500 rpm but only reacts well above 4,000 rpm. The redline restricts you to 5,500 rpm, although in the fruitier modes, the automatic gearbox goes up to 6,000 rpm. The yellow one is a 5,000 which is just silly. Thus, in tight corners or roundabouts, you will find that second gear is prohibited by the rev limit and 3rd gear is restricted by compensation.
The Porsche also suffers from a gap in the ratio between the second and third cars. Still, the precious engine is there for you. He’s barely been late and his force explodes towards the 6,900 rpm redline. But it doesn’t sound much better than Maserati’s. This is the negative effect of a 90° angle on a V6. When you’re not enjoying the undeniable kick: 4. 3 moments at 62 mph: The seven-speed PDK is as sleek as the rest of the torque converters.
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When it comes to going all out towards the horizon, the Velar, like the Maserati, is far from the Porsche. Despite this, thanks to the assistance of the gigantic electric motor, the throttle reaction is quick and attractive and there is less lag than the Maserati. The Velar’s engine, when running, sounds delightful and is much quieter than the other two. With the engine off (the distance is now over 25 miles in the real world and will temporarily accelerate), it’s sleek and nonviolent, but as fast as if it were towing two others. In our test, which used a bit of plug-in power, we got 40 mpg. The other two fell below 20 and broke. Either way, if you don’t have anywhere to plug it in, Range Rover will still sell six Velar P400s in a row for the same price.
You’d expect Porsche and Maserati to turn the game into a gaming application vehicle. And so it is. The Macan is what YouTube critics commonly call a “weapon. “It’s incredibly fast, has great grip, and nothing will stand in its way. The guide is perfectly progressive and very precise, as there is little movement of the frame and its direction remains unchanged even when passing bumps, unevenness and curvatures underneath. Our dry testing has never altered the limits of the tyres. Its brakes are also powerful. The set impresses you a lot, but it doesn’t quite fit in. It’s frustrating to lack the commitment and feedback that Porsche can do so well, not only on the cars in the game but also on the Taycan.
MASERATI CONFUSES OLD ITALIAN CAR TROPES
The Maserati isn’t that pretty. The wheels shake a bit when going over sharp bumps and the brakes, like the accelerator, don’t have the precision that is so reassuring in the Porsche. Steering requires more hand movements and the Grecale moves a bit more left and right. But its corners are more attractive, and not just because of its imperfections, so you don’t feel compelled to drive at silly speeds just to provoke a reaction in it.
A quick reading of the tyre walls gives a glimpse into the mindset of the engineers behind those cars. The Macan was fitted with Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires, the Maserati with P Zero, and the Velar with Michelin Latitudes all-season tires. In summer, they get less clogged. The Velar drives smoother than the others, which is smart for off-road traction. So, when you luckily come to a hairpin bend or especially a series of bends, you’ll need to plan ahead for control. From its weight and height, it will otherwise fall into a messy diagonal. At least the exact braking and throttle make it easy.
Without the air suspension option, this Velar’s ride is rarely as sleek as expected. Still, it’s more comfortable than the stern Porsche and dynamic Maserati. If you’re buying an SUV to resist bumps, opt for smaller wheels and more. side walls more bouncy than these. On motorways, all 3 drive well and in a straight line, however, in the Porsche, some surfaces cause an avalanche of road noise.
Overall, this specific Velar is the third best-looking car here today, it will be a no-brainer for corporate car buyers. With other cabin specs, air suspension and the choice of inline-six, we know it can be a better car that knows what it is: a relaxing, not exactly sporty, application vehicle. The Maserati confounds the old clichés of the Italian automobile: its ergonomics and screens are smart, but the engine can be more infuriating than charming. By all objective measures, the chassis is rarely as smart as the Macan, so it has to do a few things to play against the incredibly competent German mechanism. Still, the Porsche is oddly distant, and if you had five Macans in a row, we’d push you into your arms. of Maserati.
Super competent, with a rugged engine and precise chassis. It’s that appealing.
Uneven, but not in the way expected. The engine is the main problem. Spacious, useful and fluffy.
Easy-to-use and fuel-efficient PHEV powertrain. Spacious and refined, but we’d make ours a little different
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