BMW X4 vs Maserati Grecale

What's the difference?

Okay, so the BMW X4 xDrive30i is neither an ass nor an elbow, to be fair, it's more of a bulky shoulder muscle, or two.

I can't say I'll ever love the X4, the idea of it is a bit too weird for me, but I can't help admiring the way it looks and the way it drives.

It's a bit like a sedan on steroids - or an SUV on a diet, depending on your perspective - but that doesn’t take away from the fact that it’s fun to drive, comfortable and retains just enough coolness, and just enough practicality, to make it worthwhile.

In its surprisingly crowded premium performance SUV segment, the Maserati Grecale Trofeo offers something different. Next to the X4s, GLCs and Macans of this world, it's quietly confident and charismatic with the performance, practicality and value to back up its distinctive good looks. Despite some gripes around warranty, fuel consumption and ride compliance, it's a compelling alternative to those more predictable choices.

So here's the thing. Obviously I have a personal beef with the existence of vehicles like this, but my eyes cannot deny the facts - the X4 looks fantastic. It's muscular, imposing and smooth all at once. Unlike the X6, a bigger and less visually successful attempt to play the same styling tricks with an X5, it doesn't have a ridiculous rear view that looks like it shoulders and buttocks have been fused (although it's hard to miss just how small the rear window is).

Even more impressively, there's no denying it looks better than the X3 that gave birth to it, so I can easily see why someone in a BMW showroom could be drawn to it. At least until they sit inside.

If the exterior style and eye-catching Sophisto Grey metallic paint don’t make an immediate impression then your eyes will surely widen at the interior, resplendent with bold Tacora Red seats, Aluminium Rhombicle trim finisher and the kind of sleek, classy styling that BMW excels in. 

Both the adjustable ambient lighting on the doors (we were partial to lilac) and door projectors that shot out what looked like robot wings onto the ground every time we hopped out of the X4 at night walked a fine line between futuristic cool and “parked out the front of a nightclub entrance” chintz, but over time the scales tipped more to the former. 

The big differentiator between the X4 and X3, of course, is the sloped coupé roof, a design feature that may make the X4 look a little cooler, but at the expense of cabin space, but more of that in a moment.

At close to 4.9m long, a fraction under 2.0m wide and less than 1.7m tall, the Grecale is a 'large' medium SUV with a robust, thick-set look and a low-key design approach relative to its often more overtly muscular competitors.

Signature Maserati elements include a trio of porthole vents in the front fenders, the broad vertically-slatted grille with trident emblem sitting proudly in the centre, and a smaller version of Neptune's weapon of choice adorning the broad C-pillar.

There's also more than a touch of MC20 around the raked headlights (including the DRL signature), a pronounced splitter-style nose piece and broad intakes on either side.

Staggered 21-inch rims fill the arches perfectly, while pronounced side skirts and a gently sloping turret also dial up the sporty look.

The rear is sleek, but again relatively low-key, the major clues to the car's performance potential being the quad exhaust outlets and the carbon nose panel, side skirts and diffuser.

The interior feels sleek and VIP special thanks mainly to the multi-tier dash design, quality of the materials used and multiple screens.

A central 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen sits above an 8.8-inch 'comfort' screen devoted mostly to heating, ventilation and vehicle settings.

They're tied together in a single, angled panel that looks like an oversized foldable smartphone. Very cool.

The 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster is configurable through multiple custom set-ups and this time around the distinctive dashtop clock is in fact a small screen switchable through classic and contemporary faces.

It can also emit a response signal when it receives a voice command or morph into a G-meter.

From there, the double saddle stitched perforated leather trim, exposed carbon-fibre elements and brushed metal finishes complete a highly polished cabin environment.

For a car that is very much a mid-sized SUV on the outside, the interior can feel a bit too snug, like you’re driving a compact car that’s tried on a suit a few sizes too big (for reference, I’m 175cm tall - above-average height drivers may find the snugness soon turns to claustrophobia). 

While comfortable - it is BMW we’re talking about, after all - there’s not an overly abundant amount of headroom available, a feeling that becomes more pronounced should you shut the big moon roof.

My two children felt slightly too close to “you’re annoying me” distance from one another, which is to say this isn’t really the kind of car you should be getting if you plan on regularly ferrying about passengers in the rear who are bigger than a child. But I really don't think many people with kids would choose the X4 over the X3.

Boot space also takes a hit when compared to the X3 (550 litres versus 525-litres in the X4 - I was surprised the difference wasn't larger - although that expands to 1430-litres with the rear seats folded down. 

The boot opening is also mouth-shaped, which makes packing in wide-load items more of an issue.

Cupholders are plentiful - two in the front, two in the rear, and bottle holders in each door - and there’s a decent-sized storage cubby in between the front two seats. 

The sloped roof, and big fat A pillars, also result in the X4 being a bit more pinched at the rear, which is not especially great for visibility, with the vehicle’s blind spots taking some getting used to.

At close to 4.9m long and nearly 2.0m wide, the Grecale is a big medium five-seater and with a 2.9m wheelbase to play with, interior space and practicality are more than respectable.

There's plenty of space up front and in terms of practicality, decent door bins, two cupholders in the centre console, a lidded oddments tray in front of them (housing USB-C and USB-A sockets), a large lidded box between the seats (which doubles as a centre armrest) with a 12-volt outlet lurking inside as well as a generous glove box.

Sitting behind the driver's seat set for my 183cm position, there's plenty of head, leg and foot room, not to mention a surprising amount of breathing space in general.

Enough width for three adults on short journeys and up to teenage kids will be fine. When it comes to baby capsules or child seats, you'll be good with two but three is a bridge too far.

For storage, there are door bins with room for large bottles, hard-shell maps pockets on the front seatbacks, adjustable ventilation as part of the three-zone climate control system, a fold-down centre armrest including two cupholders and a slot for a phone in between as well as another pair of USB (A and C) sockets.

Boot volume is a healthy 570 litres with all seats up, which is 35L more than the lower GT and Modena grades because rather than a space saver spare, the Trofeo cops a repair/inflator kit. Boo...

It's enough room to fit our three-piece luggage set or the CarsGuide pram with ease, and the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat liberates even more space.

There are seat release handles in the cargo area as well as multiple tie-down anchor points, a 12V outlet, bag hooks and a two-piece load cover set-up to deter prying eyes.

At $174,900, before on-road costs, the Grecale Trofeo sits in the middle of a pack of performance-focused mid-sized SUVs spanning a roughly $50,000 price band from around $140K to $190K.

Specifically, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio ($162,700), BMW X4 M Competition ($185,200), Jaguar F-Pace SVR ($153,570), Mercedes-AMG GLC63 S ($191,800) and Porsche's Macan GTS ($141,700).

That's a quality competitive set and to keep its head above water the Grecale Trofeo comes with a solid standard features list.

Aside from the performance and safety tech we'll cover shortly, highlights include the 21-inch alloy rims, auto LED headlights, 14-way adjustable heated sports front seats (with driver memory function), an electrically-adjustable steering column, alloy door sill finishers, full leather upholstery, 14-speaker Sonus Faber audio (with digital radio), three-zone climate control (with rear touchscreen), a panoramic sunroof and ambient lighting.

Then there are the screens for multimedia (12.8-inch), instrumentation (12.8-inch), ventilation and vehicle settings (8.8-inch) and the multi-mode clock, as well as ambient cabin lighting, adaptive cruise control, a power tailgate (with kick control), Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity plus layers of carbon inside and out. Impressive, even in the 'around $200K' part of the market.

Now, prepare to be confused. In the past, the 3.0 in the xDrive3.0i nomenclature might have led you to believe you'd bought a BMW with a 3.0-litre straight six engine. But in this case, you have not, the 3.0 just means you have a more exciting version of the 2.0; a TwinPower turbo 2.0-litre inline four-cylinder engine, making 179kW and 353Nm that the xDrive system delivers to all four wheels. 

The claimed zero to 100km/h time of 4.9 seconds feels completely realistic as this engine has plenty of poke. Put it in the Sport setting and you'll get some serious shove. Indeed, the switch between Comfort and Sport is very noticeable and changes the character of the car entirely.

The transmission is an eight-speed conventional torque converter automatic gearbox that’s both smooth and responsive. 

Lurking under the Grecale Trofeo's bonnet is a 'wet sump' version of the 3.0-litre twin-turbo 'Nettuno' (Neptune) V6 that also found a home between the axles of the Maserati MC20 supercar.

It produces 390kW, which is well in excess of 500hp, and grinds out enough torque (620Nm) to pull a small cottage off its foundations.

It's brimming with performance and efficiency-focused tech. Everything from twin-spark dual-chamber heads and cylinder deactivation to high-pressure direction-injection and variable valve timing.

Drive goes to all four wheels via a ZF-sourced eight-speed auto transmission and an all-wheel-drive system incorporating an electronic self-locking limited slip diff at the rear.

The X4’s 65-litre tank needs to be 95-octane at a minimum, and BMW’s claimed combined fuel consumption is 7.9 litres per 100km. The temptation to use its rorty little engine is going to push you higher, though - you chose the one with the 3.0 badge on it after all - and we averaged 10.9 litres per 100km in our week together, which was mainly city driving, to be fair. 

Maserati's official combined cycle fuel economy number for the Grecale Trofeo is 11.2L/100km, emitting 254g/km of CO2 in the process.

We covered urban, B-road and freeway running, not to mention some enthusiastic driving along the way, and recorded an average of 16.9L/100km. Which is thirsty, but not outrageous relative to the competition.

The fuel tank requires 64 litres of 95 RON premium unleaded to fill it which translates to a theoretical range of around 570km, dropping to just 380km using our real-world number.

Even if you're okay with the Trofeo's hefty consumption rate, regular visits to the fuel pump will be kind of a pain.

The impressive trick that BMW continually pulls off with its SUVs is giving them the same sensual, muscular steering as its sedans, and an impressively similar ride and handling balance.

The steering is the highlight here, but it's also noticeable how planted to the road it feels.

The X4 speaks to its looks, in fact, by feeling sportier and more alive to drive than you'd expect an X3 to be.  

This is less an SUV for soccer mums and dads, and more a bastard love-child that’s into loud leather and bright neon - a CEO who dressed punk rock-lite on weekends, if you will. 

If those weekends are bereft of child taxiing and loading up the boot with several tons of kid stuff, then you’ll have a blast in the X4. 

Engage the standard launch control function, step through the blast-off procedure and Maserati says you'll rocket from 0-100km/h in 3.8 seconds, which is supercar fast.

And the way this twin-turbo V6 delivers that kind of performance is impressive; beautifully linear without a hint of lag.

Trundle along at 60km/h, pin the throttle and you'll be in 'lock 'em up and throw away the key' territory in the blink of an eye. This is a full-blown rocket sled.

All 620Nm of peak torque is available from 3000-5500rpm with maximum power (390kW) arriving at 6500rpm. No matter which drive mode you've selected (more on that shortly), thunderous performance is only an extension of your right ankle away.

And the aural accompaniment walks a perfect line between potency and civility, the signature Maserati exhaust growl stepping up a notch in the racier settings but rarely crossing over into bellicose 'boy racer' territory. We have no problem with an occasional pop and bang on the overrun!

At a touch over two tonnes, the Grecale Trofeo is far from a featherweight, but when you're racing up and down the quick-shifting auto transmission's eight ratios, it feels like one.

The elegant alloy, column- (not wheel-) mounted 'manual' shift levers add to the fun and there are five drive modes to play with - 'Comfort', 'GT', 'Sport', 'Corsa' and 'Off-road' - adapting the engine, transmission, steering and suspension.

The track-focused Corsa set-up starts to soften off some of the traction and stability controls, so we didn't go there, but can confirm off-road raises ride height by 30mm (FYI, we didn't head off-road, either).

Suspension is by double wishbones at the front and multi-links at the rear supported by active dampers and air 'springs' all around.

In the softer Comfort setting, ride compliance is on the firm side. Never harsh, but a little more communicative in terms of bumps and thumps than you might expect.

Not for the first time I found the best arrangement was Sport, dialling everything up to racier settings, and the suspension in 'Comfort' which can be achieved with the press of a wheel-mounted button.

The electrically-assisted rack and pinion steering is accurate and quick to respond with excellent road feel thrown in for good measure.

Just beware the flip side of this type of 'quick' steering rack is invariably a large turning circle, and the Grecale Trofeo is no exception.

The staggered 21-inch rims are shod with high-performance Bridgestone Potenza Sport rubber (225/40 fr / 295/35 rr) and the AWD system, complete with rear LSD, help the car feel securely planted and balanced in quick cornering.

Braking is professional grade with big ventilated and cross-drilled rotors front and rear with fixed Brembo calipers at both ends - six piston front and four-piston rear.

Maserati claims the Grecale Trofeo will slow from 100km/h to a standstill in less than 40m, which is not a lot of metres from that speed.

I had one telling 'will I, or won't I?' situation when presented with an amber light and in deciding to give the brakes a workout (there was no one behind me) was rewarded with a secure and insanely rapid stop.

In terms of general observations, the placement of the start button and drive-mode dial on the steering wheel is a nice touch, the front seats are superb in terms of support and comfort, the media interface is quick and easy to use and the only strong hint of Maserati's Stellantis ownership came in the form of familiar 'Jeep-style' audio control rocker switches on the back of the steering wheel.

No independent ANCAP safety assessment at this stage but the Grecale Trofeo is fitted with active crash-avoidance tech including AEB (with pedestrian recognition) operating from 5.0-258km/h, adaptive cruise control (with stop and go function), 'Active Lane Management' (including lane-keep assist), blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and 'Drowsy Driver Detection'.

There's also a 'Surround View' camera system, 'Traffic Sign Assist' as well as front and rear parking sensors, and 'Rear Cross Path' (incorporating rear AEB).

If a crash is unavoidable, six airbags (dual front, front side and full-length side curtains) are onboard and there are three top tethers across the rear for baby capsules/child restraints, including ISOFIX anchors on the outer positions. There's even an emergency triangle and first-aid kit.

Despite all the brouhaha about other car manufacturers offering more generous warranty periods - seven years for Kia, for example - BMW has not shifted its stance, still offering its standard three-year unlimited-kilometre warranty. Frankly, it's just not good enough.

BMW also offer a Service Inclusive package for $2010 that covers owners for five years, or 80,000km.

The Grecale Trofeo is covered by Maserati's three-year/unlimited km warranty, which is off the market pace, with five years/unlimited km the expected norm. Roadside assistance is included for the duration of the warranty.

Maintenance intervals are 12 months/15,000km, and service over the first three years will set you back $4639, or $1546 per workshop visit. Not cheap, but again, not out of line for a performance model in this part of the market.

Maserati also warrants the body for "perforation by rust corrosion" for four years, extendable up to eight if vehicle maintenance, from an authorised dealer, is up to scratch.