Maserati Grecale vs Land Rover Defender

What's the difference?

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.

The Land Rover Defender Octa Black could well be the ultimate form of the Defender. There's also the combination of Land Rover style and utility, but with one of the best V8 powerplants gifted to it from BMW. The Black edition adds extra appeal and highlights how stealthily something this good can fly under the radar against rivals like the Mercedes-AMG G63.

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.

Oh gosh yes, there’s a lot that’s interesting about the design of the Defender Octa Black. 

Land Rover absolutely nailed the look of the new Defender when it launched in 2020 and it's barely aged in the years since. 

I love its modern take on the original Defender design with its boxy styling that looks both prestigious enough to be waiting in the driveway of a castle, but also purposeful and practical enough to be sitting in a paddock on a farm.

The Octa is based on the 110 Defender four-door body style with five seats, but its muscular enhancements make it longer, wider and taller than a regular 110 Defender. 

The Octa Black has exactly the same dimensions as the Octa at 5003mm long including the tailgate-mounted spare wheel, 2105mm wide with the mirrors out, and 1995mm tall on the low suspension setting (air suspension can raise the vehicle much higher).

The Octa Black adds about 30 gloss black or satin black elements to the Octa and I’ve listed many of them in the features section above.

For me the highlights of the Black include the 20-inch forged wheels which look stylish and army tough, there’s also the black coating on the quad exhaust tips, while the blacked-out badging and lettering also gives this variant a carefully modified, stealthy look.

Inside I love the exposed screws in the door trim, and black dashboard hand rail. When the vehicle is switched off all of the black buttons lose their glowing icons, turning the cabin into an inky, luxurious, minimalist space.

I could go on about the safari windows overhead in the boot area, the thick carpet, and how the optional chopped carbon fibre looks like solid marble, but we need to move on. 

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.

The Defender Octa Black is practical by its design and intention. This is a large off-road SUV with boxy proportions and utility is as much a priority as luxury.

A five seater with no third row, the Defender Octa Black has an enormous boot at 972 litres and outstanding cabin storage throughout from large door pockets to stowaway areas, trays and hidey holes. There’s also a small fridge under the centre armrest between the front seats.

Space for passengers is excellent with ample headroom and rear legroom. I’m tall at 188cm and can easily sit behind my driving position. Upfront and sitting in the driver’s seat I have acres of room in the footwell, plenty of space for my legs to clear the steering wheel and lots of elbow room.

There are power outlets throughout including a 230V powerpoint in the boot, USB-C ports in the second and front rows, plus wireless phone charging up front.

How great it is to see big chunky physical dials for climate control and volume as opposed to just a media screen, which is the case with so many new vehicles.

Possibly the only impracticality of the Defender Octa Black is the drop down out of the cabin. Even on the lowest air suspension setting the step up and out of the cabin will be too big for some older people and younger children. 

The Defender Octa Black lists for $313,800 which is about $10,000 more than a standard Octa. The difference between them is purely cosmetic but the black elements add such a visual impact that $10K seems worth it for the unique customised look that distinguishes it from ‘ordinary’ Defender Octas.

The Black edition adds about 30 elements with either a gloss black or satin black finish. These include the Narvik Black paint, gloss black exhaust tips, 20-inch forged black wheels with gloss black calipers, there’s black badging and lettering, too.

Inside there’s ebony semi-aniline leather upholstery, plus black hand holds and dashboard crossbeam.

Then there’s all the standard equipment you’ll find on a regular Defender Octa. 

There's three-zone climate control, a Meridian sound system, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, 11.4-inch touchscreen with sat nav, wireless phone charging and head-up display. 

The front seats are heated and cooled, while the second-row outboard rear seats are heated. There’s privacy glass in the rear windows, a panoramic glass roof, LED headlights and tail-lights and a proximity key.

Our car had several options fitted including the chopped carbon-fibre finisher which you can see on the front seat-backs and centre console, dual snorkels, tow-hitch receiver, mud flaps and black roof rails.

Is the value good? Yes' it's very expensive at more than $300k, but the price is quite a bit lower than the Mercedes-AMG G63 ($368,400) and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT ($376,200).

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.

One of the Defender Octa’s biggest drawcards is its engine, a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 courtesy of BMW.

Yes this is a BMW-sourced V8 making 467kW and 750Nm. The same engine is found in BMW’s M5 super saloon and X5 M and it suits the Defender Octa Black so well you’d swear it was purpose built for the big SUV.

You might not know that there is also a mild hybrid system on board too, but it doesn’t drive the wheels and isn't really there to save fuel. Its function is to add even more grunt to the engine. 

Unlike Mercedes-AMG's G63’s V8, the Defender Octa’s V8 won’t traumatise the neighbourhood on start up or idle or even just cruising along. But push it hard and it changes its attitude from a powerful limousine growl to a wild NASCAR roar.

There are drive modes including a dynamic setting but it’s ‘Octa’ mode that makes the car special. It's is a high-performance off-road setting that does exactly what you’d think.

Of course the Defender is one capable off-road vehicle with low- and high-range four-wheel drive.

An eight-speed automatic transmission sends the drive to all four wheels smoothly and the paddle shifters allow quick changes up and down.

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.

Nobody buys a large off-road SUV powered by a petrol V8 thinking it’s going to be super fuel efficient, right? Just checking, because the 4.4-litre petrol V8 in the Defender Octa Black needs feeding constantly, like some kind of huge, hungry animal.

My average fuel economy of 18.5L/100km (according to the trip computer) over nearly 500km of driving actually wasn't as high as I expected considering all the countryside I ran through combined with the urban warfare of heavy traffic. Still that’s much higher than the 13.1L/100km Land Rover says the Octa should do in combined driving conditions. 

Fortunately the Octa has a 90L fuel tank so you won’t have to fill up at every petrol station you see.

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.

The Defender Octa Black is big but it only takes a week of driving before it feels like an extension of your body and becomes an easy and obedient thing to pilot.

The acceleration is strong with 0-100km/h coming in four seconds but it's how it handles that's really impressive.

Smart so-called '6D suspension' uses adaptive tech to keep the vehicle level, damping its desire to pitch forward under braking and preventing body roll in the corners. I tested this on my remote winding, bumpy test road and was amazed by this big monster’s ability to keep itself composed and flat despite the sudden changes in direction.

There was no off-road test for the Octa Black this time but we've been impressed with the capability of Defenders in our tough terrain tests in the past. The Octa Black’s air suspension can rise high enough to offer a maximum 323mm of ground clearance. Angle of approach is 40.2 degrees and departure is 42.8 degrees, while the ramp over angle is 29 degrees. Wading depth is 1000mm.

And if you’re towing, braked towing capacity is 3500kg.

We tested the Octa Black for its handling of both engaging roads but also its handling of suburban duties where it proved easy to pilot, towering over the traffic but still able to slip up tight streets and in and out of car parks (check the maximum headroom and keep the suspension low), along with the school run each day.

Built for off roading means visibility is excellent, from being able to see clearly where the vehicle begins and ends to the huge windows that means there’s hardly a blind spot.

That made parking easy as long as there’s a space large enough and trust me, even if you take your time to park, nobody will honk at you in this military-grade looking rig.

All the while the air suspension kept the ride comfortable and serene.

The Land Rover Defender scored the maximum five-star ANCAP rating when it was tested in 2020 and that applies to the Octa Black, too. The only catch is that ANCAP rating will expire at the end of 2026. The criteria is now much stricter to get five stars.

That said, of course the Defender is safe, just as cars given a five star rating this year won’t automatically be unsafe in six or seven years, but there will be newer and better safety tech.

Still the Defender has auto emergency braking (AEB), lane-keeping assistance, blind-spot warning and rear cross-traffic alert.

Occupant safety in crash tests also scored high, according to ANCAP.

For child seats you’ll find two ISOFIX points and three top tether anchors across the second row.  

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.

Land Rover covers the Octa Black with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty which is short compared to most mainstream brands but fairly common among the high-end makes.

Roadside assistance is included for five years, too.

A service plan is available with five years costing $4800. Again, quite common for prestige brands but expensive compared to the more mainstream makers.