The Electric Maserati GranTurismo Is Better With Ice: First Drive Review

But for nearly $200,000, is Maserati’s electric grand tourer good enough?

Maserati GranTurismo Folgore First Drive Review

Photo by: Maserati

Chris Rosales

By: Chris Rosales

Feb 25, 2025 at 12:00pm ET

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The era of electric vehicle saturation is upon us, and Maserati has joined the party. It's a trio, all named Folgore—Italian for lightning, and a clever way to bring Maserati's flavor to electrification—made up of the GranTurismo and GranCabrio, as well as the Grecale SUV. I got to try the biggest and baddest of them all: The 818-horsepower, triple-motor GranTurismo Folgore on an icy rallycross course deep in the Italian Alps.

For its $194,000 starting price, the GranTurismo Folgore has to deliver the goods, and not simply be just charmingly Italian enough to justify its market position. With the loss of the old GranTurismo’s gorgeous-sounding V-8 and the current’s snarling V-6, what kind of character could an electric GranTurismo really have? As it turns out, not enough.

Quick Specs 2025 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore Motor Triple Permanent-Magnet Synchronous Output 818 Horsepower / 994 Pound-Feet Range 242 miles 0-60 MPH 2.7 Seconds Price $194,000

2025 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore

Photo by: Maserati

For starters, the Folgore is built on the same foundations as the new GranTurismo that debuted last year, save for the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter Nettuno V-6. Instead, there are three electric motors—two in the back, one in the front—and a 92.5 Kilowatt-Hour battery pack mounted in a T configuration. While each motor can produce 400 hp, the battery pack can only sustain 751 hp, or 818 hp in short bursts. Crucially, two-thirds of the power goes to the rear axle.

Packaging it all into a platform shared with an internal combustion car is technically impressive, especially considering that it's based on the Alfa Romeo Giulia's Giorgio platform, now called Giorgio Sport. The T-shaped battery pack allows the GranTurismo to remain low, without the awkward height that comes with a skateboard-style floor-mounted battery pack. The motors are compact, using silicone carbide inverters to reduce overall size, and the rear dual-motor setup allows for true torque vectoring.

The interior is the same as the gasoline-powered GranTurismo, including Maserati’s signature column-mounted shift paddles. Now, the paddles control regenerative braking. It also remains the weak point of the GranTurismo, especially for its price. The interior is undoubtedly luxurious, but it lacks the thoughtful details of other luxury cars. There are too many touchscreens, and the switches that do exist are lifted from lesser Stellantis products. It still doesn’t feel totally special, even if it's a solid stride ahead of the previous GranTurismo. But now, for the fun part.

2025 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore

Photo by: Maserati

Pros: Looks Great, Nice Loose-Surface Handling, Powerful

Maserati sicced me on a legitimate ice rallycross course to test the GranTurismo Folgore’s hardware. Being on ice didn’t leave much room to evaluate the Folgore’s power, but it offered plenty of scope to see how the car managed torque, how it used stability control and ABS, and how the base physics of the GranTurismo worked. I’m happy to report that the big Maserati is lovely to drive on the slick stuff.

Initiating a drift was easy and instantaneous, with precise, fast-ratio steering that made it simple to catch the initial slide. What was more addicting was how the Maserati doled out torque—with a heavy rear bias. From the initial throttle prod to deep in the pedal, it deploys the majority of its torque to the rear, allowing proper, countersteering drifts. The lone front motor never hassled or tried to stop the party. Only at full throttle would the front motor wake up and attempt to pull the car slightly straighter.

2025 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore

Photo by: Maserati

Cons: Not Enough Physical Buttons, Interior Doesn’t Feel Like It’s Worth $200,000, Expensive

There was an element of dual personality as well. You could be a turkey-fisted brute and do massive, gymkhana-esque slides and the GranTurismo would happily oblige. But dial back and afford it some precision, and it would become delicate and suggestable to small inputs. Off-throttle transitions were highly responsive, and driving with more restraint was just as satisfying as making snow clouds. The steering was mostly dead and didn’t communicate the direction of the wheels well, but it did just enough to make precision slides workable.

What do you think?

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The GranTurismo Folgore knows how to party. As a driving instrument, it works shockingly well. It hides its weight admirably and dances like a lightweight sports car, yet it’s still wonderfully insulated as any good GT should. But I still can’t shake the fact that it didn’t feel like a near-$200,000 experience.

Despite plenty of good and a good bit of lovability, the GranTurismo Folgore lacks some character. It didn’t stir in my chest or my soul while driving it—not even sideways on ice. Which is a shame, because it is a damn stunner to look at.

2025 Maserati GranTurismo Folgore