Even with today's inflation, $125 grand seems like a ton of money for a luxury compact SUV. It may make fabulous Italian music and dance down a twisty road better than Beyoncé, but our expectations for the range-topping, Nettuno-V-6-powered 2023 Maserati Grecale Trofeo proved too high to earn it a trofeo (or finalist berth) at our 2023 SUV of the Year event.

Might a four-cylinder Grecale in GT or Modena trim have fared better? We went to Italy to sample them in the hills above (where else) Modena to find out.