Maserati Grecale vs Volvo XC90

What's the difference?

There's something about Italy and four-wheeled transport. Even the most functional vehicles developed there somehow morph into high-performance hot rods.

For example, as the SUV phenomenon has swept the world Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Lamborghini and Maserati have more than matched the German big three and others in elevating the humble family truckster to supercar status.

And the Grecale Trofeo is the latest example of Maserati's inability to let an SUV be simply practical. It's a mad twin-turbo V6 all-wheel-drive version of the more typically four-cylinder-powered mid-size SUV.

We spent a week with this ferocious beast to see how much spice it can add to family life.

The first-generation Volvo XC90 remained on sale for 12 years in Australia before being replaced by the handsome second-gen version that recently clocked up a decade of sales.

There’s a reason for the longevity. People love the Volvo XC90. It is a reliable seven-seat family-friendly SUV with a premium bent. You’ll spot loads of these at fancy private school drop off.

Volvo has extended the life of the second-gen XC90 with a significant late-life update. It adopts some features from its stablemate, the similarly sized and positioned EX90 electric SUV.

It doesn’t get a fully-electric powertrain but you have the choice of a mild-hybrid grade that acts as the range opener and the well-equipped T8 Plug-In Hybrid I’m testing.

Interestingly, a number of this car’s rivals have had their lives extended, too. As many carmakers pour billions into EVs, they’ve taken to delivering major updates to older internal combustion platforms rather than developing all-new underpinnings. The Audi Q7 and BMW X5 are other examples of this.

For the update, Volvo has ushered in a front-end design refresh, a fresh take on the interior, new multimedia and safety tech, a light tweak to suspension and new colours and wheels.

But is this enough to keep premium SUV buyers interested? Let’s find out…