While the Velar, with its metier steering, carves out a more languid ride gait over longer-wave bumps and better soaks up the shorter, clunkier ridges and scars on the road, the Grecale holds its body lower and tauter and lets you both hear and feel what its suspension is dealing with.
For outright acceleration, the two are near enough impossible to separate. The Velar’s powertrain gives more instant electric torque-filled throttle response, but its engine has that slightly crotchety flat Ingenium growl and doesn’t feel made to rev.
The Grecale’s engine, meanwhile, has greater audible presence and character, pausing for the merest instant on a loaded throttle before twanging through the middle of the rev range and then going at the limiter more fiercely.
Maserati Grecale vs Range Rover Velar: verdict
I think I would rather live with the Velar – as would, I expect, the vast majority of average drivers. While it’s a bit less exotic, it’s still luxurious, and what it’s good at could be tapped into almost every day.
But our winner here must be the Grecale – not for being the car that you would want to use ever day, clearly, but for being the one that you would wat to own and would really enjoy driving.
For Maserati to progress as it has – from almost nowhere as a maker of luxury cars to somewhere quietly innovative and interesting – shows what the right direction can do for a car company in a surprisingly short time.
All of a sudden, it feels like we can be excited again about what’s coming next from Modena – and, on this evidence, also confident that it won’t feel too different from the better cars that have come before.
Winner
1st. Maserati Grecale Modena
A successfully sporty and desirable take on a mid-sized luxury SUV, with more fiery dynamic charm than you might expect.
2nd. Range Rover Velar P400e Dynamic SE
Delivers quite well for fleet drivers and on comfort, refinement and real-world economy, but doesn’t have the Grecale’s allure or handling appeal.