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Christmas wishes: A Maserati Grecale Trofeo SUV.
Dear Santa, with just a week to go to Christmas Day, I’d thought I’d drop you a note.
Both Mrs. D and the very nice media lady from Ateco said I’d been a good boy in 2023, so they let me drive a Maserati Grecale Trofeo SUV for a week. I was wondering if you could bring me one just the same for the big day, then we could probably come to a deal where you could borrow it for a short while each year to get your job done.
Let me explain the benefits.
The powerplant is a V6, 3 litre and twin turbo unit, pushing out 520hp with a 0-100km sprint time of only about 3.5 seconds. This means there is a lot more horse or reindeer power than Rudolph and his mates.
The transmission is a ZF eight speed set up that genuinely offers seamless changes. This will allow you to burble along slowly as you drop prezzies down the chimneys or nail it between towns and cities.
A further bonus is the all-wheel drive system means you’re not going to get stuck on your route if there’s mud, gravel or – heaven forbid – snow on the ground.
The transmission can get through the 8 cogs quickly, particularly in the Corsa drive mode. However, the GT mode might be a better choice at night, as it tones down a glorious exhaust and reduces the dangers of waking the little ones too early on the big day.
If Mrs C. is putting in a few hours over the busy period, she’ll probably prefer the more subdued Comfort mode, which at the same time will give your ears a rest from being told, “You’re driving too fast.”
In the cockpit, she’ll also appreciate the metres of supple leather— no reindeer skins used here. With its intricate stitching, alongside outstanding adjustable lateral support bolsters, means you can get a move on as daylight on the 25th arrives. Of course, as you’d expect from a large SUV, the Grecale offers a voluminous 570 litres of boot space for a huge load of parcels.
Ahead of the driver’s seat, four screens keep you up to date with how things are going in a multitude of preferred settings. Meanwhile, a simplistic approach is taken for the transmission, a push button selection of Park, Drive, Neutral or Reverse – should be able to sort things out if you overdo the tipples and mince pies while you’re doing the rounds.
Depending on how heavy your right foot is – and the drive mode chosen – fuel consumption tends to be 13 to 14 litres per 100km. This isn’t too bad compared to the food bills I see for Mrs D’s horses and the cost of getting rid of the ‘exhaust’ they also produce.
Best of all, the Grecale doesn’t follow the typical Italian route of bold or outrageous. Rather, it exudes the glorious curves of Sophie Loren, oozing class and subtlety. So, if you find yourself at a red light next to a bling-loaded rival, you will have hit the pedal and left them in your wake before they realise what you’re driving.
Anyway, fingers crossed. Don’t worry about wrapping it – just leave the keys on top of the driver’s side wheel!
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The Advanced Vehicle Suspension system, available on Optum 360, 390, and 440 models, responds to changing conditions, automatically adjusting how the suspension reacts to absorbs shocks and controlling vehicle movement.
In operation, sensors monitor the vibrations transmitted from the tractor chassis to the operator cabin, allowing the system to adjust suspension damping in real time. The control system incorporates key priorities, such as comfort at lower speeds and stability as speed increases, while also reacting to factors such as lower tyre pressures, where the tyres absorb more of the initial shock.
Case IH said as suspension requirements change throughout the working day, as tractors move between the paddock and road transport, the system manages suspension response in the background as tasks, speeds and conditions change, leaving the operator without the need to make manual adjustments.
Richard Hollins, Optum series tractors global product manager, said: “Pioneering technology must earn its place in the working day. Farmers and contractors will judge an investment by what it delivers, including manageable ownership costs, dependable up-time and the versatility to tackle different jobs. With AVS, we are putting intelligent control to work for comfort and stability, without giving the operator another setting to manage.”
Organised by FederUnacoma, the Italian Agricultural Machinery Manufacturers Federation, the contest has been part of EIMA since 1986, with the Technical Evolution distinction awarded to products that introduce original improvements to solutions already manufactured or patented.
www.caseih.com
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