Maserati readies Grecale for an Australian launch, while the unique Mission from Mars edition showcases the brand’s Fuoriserie program.

Maserati’s all-new Grecale mid-size SUV has landed in Australia, albeit only for a brief visit. Revealed to media this week in Melbourne, Maserati Australia General Manager Grant Barling explained that the Grecale is scheduled to begin local deliveries in early 2023 and that the factory had flown in a very special ‘Mission from Mars’ one-off which showcased both the new model and Maserati’s Fuoriserie program ahead of Grecale’s Australian launch.

Next to the orange Grecale was the Levante Fuoriserie and Ghibli Trofeo Fuoriserie, both Australian special order vehicles – one order by a customer, and the Ghibli Trofeo a dealer special.

“We are thrilled to showcase to our customers three specially-crafted models that demonstrate the vast possibilities offered by Fuoriserie – the only limit is your imagination,” added Barling.

The Mission from Mars Grecale shows that Maserati certainly doesn’t want to impose limits on customers electing to customise with Fuoriserie, a program already available in Australia for the past 18 months. Anything is possible if quality can be assured, from finishing the car with paint splashed from a bucket (this really happened) to etching diagrams and words onto the glass panoramic roof, as per the Mission from Mars concept.

While it is a bespoke choice, Fuoriserie is a popular choice with Maserati buyers, including clients who want something truly unique, to young buyers who might want to match the car’s elements to their own fashion. And all models can be customised, from the MC20 supercar to the Grecale SUV.

“We’re seeing growing interest from clientele in the Fuoriserie program – it allows them to express themselves even more boldly, confidently and in a genuinely bespoke manner,” said Barling.

Locally, the Grecale is expected to be delivered to customers from around February 2023 and 120 potential buyers have already registered their interest. Built to order, rather than sold from stock in the dealer lot, Maserati says the wait time a customer can expect is about 3 months, and for custom cars via Fuoriserie, the wait will be up to around 6 months given vehicles may sometimes be required to have paint finishing done off-site in italy. The added cost to a Fuoriserie vehicle is usually around 30 per cent the cost of the car, although the only limiting factor is a customer’s imagination.

Destined to play “a key role in the brand’s development”, the Porsche Macan rival will be built on the same production line as the Alfa Romeo Stelvio in the FCA plant in Cassino, Italy. Our own first impressions of the Grecale we saw here are of Maserati’s best chance at breaking open increased sales against its closest competitor the Macan. Legroom in the rear is comparatively spacious (up to 7-inches longer than German rivals, says Maserati) and technology is an obvious (and important) leap ahead of the usual classic Maserati dials and buttons – you can find out more in our first-drive review.

Named after the “fierce north-east wind of the Mediterranean Sea” the Grecale forms a key part of Maserati’s bold revival plan that it launched in 2020 with the reveal of the MC20. It will also share much of its underpinnings with the Stelvio, and a fully electric version, the Folgore, is also due to arrive down the line. However, the combustion-engined models will use Maserati rather than Alfa-sourced engines. In Australia, the electric Grecale Folgore is expected to be available from 2024.