Azimut Grande 26M Price, Specs and Sea Trial Review

An 86-foot compact superyacht that debuted ZF's big pod drives, folds its garage door into a cockpit balcony and fits five cabins under a carbon top.

2022 to present In production Updated October 2026

For reference, Azimut flybridge motor yacht moored in Cannes, not the Azimut Grande 26M. Photo: Alexander Migl, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Length: 86.5 ft26.36 m
Beam: 20.7 ft6.3 m
Cruise: 23 kn
Cabins: 5 guest cabins (main deck master plus 4 below) and 2 crew cabins
Used price: $5.4M to $7.2M

On this page

Overview
Grande 26M price first, then the reasons
The first boat on ZF's Large POD 4600
Deck2Deck, where the garage door becomes a balcony
Salvagni or Yachtique, two very different interiors
The one weak spot is the stair junction amidships
What the sea trials and builder data say
How it compares with the 25 Metri and the Grande 27M
Specifications
Price and value
Strengths and weaknesses
Used buyer checklist
Rivals
Our verdict
FAQ

The Azimut Grande 26M is an 86-foot, five-cabin flybridge launched at Cannes in 2022 as the first yacht on ZF's Large POD 4600 drives. Twin MAN V12s push it past 30 knots in tests; new boats start around $7.2 million.

Best for

Owners stepping up from a 70 to 80 foot flybridge
Families who want five cabins without going to 100 feet
Mediterranean and Bahamas cruising with a three-person crew
Buyers who value pod efficiency and handling

Azimut Grande 26M by the numbers

Plan view drawn to scale from the published length and beam.

Speed to length ratio at cruise: 2.65A planing cruise. Fast passages in exchange for much higher fuel burn per mile.
Estimated range at cruise: 360 nmUsing 90 percent of tank capacity at the cruise speed and fuel burn listed on this page.
Fuel economy at cruise: 0.18 nmpgNautical miles per gallon at cruise, both engines combined.
Horsepower per ton: 35 hpModest power to weight, efficiency over outright speed.
Length to beam ratio: 4.18 : 1A slim, easily driven hull.

Length compared with the 24 superyachts we cover

Azimut Grande 26M

86 ft146 ft

Grande 26M price first, then the reasons

The Azimut Grande 26M price sits at roughly $7.2 million for a new boat delivered from stock or late in the build, rising toward $8.6 million once owners add the second interior package, fin stabilizers and electronics upgrades. Near-new used examples were asking $5.9 million to $7.2 million in 2026, according to YachtBuyer. Azimut does not publish a list price, and MarineMax, which sells the Grande line in much of the US, quotes on request.

What that buys is an 86-foot flybridge that does three things nobody had combined at this length when it launched at the 2022 Cannes Yachting Festival: a main deck master suite with five cabins in total, a cockpit that extends over the stern on the garage door, and the first set of ZF's Large POD 4600 drives fitted to any yacht. Azimut says 22 boats sold in the first two months. YachtBuyer now counts about 39 built.

The first boat on ZF's Large POD 4600

Azimut developed the Large POD 4600 with ZF specifically for bigger yachts with top speeds between 20 and 30 knots. The torpedo-shaped, twin-propeller units pivot to steer, so there are no rudders and no rudder drag, and they deliver more torque at low speed for close-quarters handling. MBY noted that ZF designed them for twin installations up to about 100 feet and triple installations up to 130 feet.

Paired with a carbon superstructure that Azimut says is 30 percent lighter than glass, the pods are the basis of its claim of 20 percent lower fuel use at the speeds owners actually run, and of the Low Emission Yacht label. The pods also shrink the engine room, which freed space for the raised wheelhouse and the five-cabin plan. Standard power with the Salvagni interior is twin 1,650 hp MAN V12s; the newer Yachtique version is listed with twin 1,622 hp MTU V10s, and early boats could be specified with 1,550 hp MANs.

Blue-hulled Azimut motor yacht in a Stockholm guest harbor. Photo: Simiha, CC BY-SA 4.0, source

Deck2Deck, where the garage door becomes a balcony

The Deck2Deck terrace is simple in principle. The teak-clad garage door hinges up until it lies flush with the aft edge of the main deck, the glass cockpit railing splits in the middle and swings out to the new corners, and a lightweight center section is fitted by hand. Azimut says the extended cockpit reaches more than 18 square meters, enough for a walkaround table seating eight right over the water.

Alan Harper, testing the boat for Power and Motoryacht, called it genuinely smart rather than a gimmick. The obvious tradeoff is that the tender has to be out of the garage before the terrace can be deployed, so plan where the tender lives when you are at anchor with the balcony open.

Salvagni or Yachtique, two very different interiors

The first boats carried Achille Salvagni's interior: ovoid shapes, eggshell finishes, cobalt and orange accents, oak floors laid at 45 degrees and cell-shaped windows in the master's dressing area. MBY found it quirky but cohesive, and pointed out that the light tones keep the daylight from the huge hull windows in charge. Azimut now also offers an organic, textural scheme by Yachtique, with walnut, bronze and leather, which is paired with the MTU engines on Azimut's spec sheet.

Whichever you choose, the layout is the same. The full-beam owner's suite sits forward on the main deck behind full-height glass, with its shower and head running across the beam. Below are a pair of symmetrical VIPs aft (which can be combined into one large full-beam cabin), a third double to starboard and a twin to port. All three doubles share the same 6-foot-2 by 5-foot-2 berth size, and the twin is the tightest space, with three doors competing for the same corner.

The one weak spot is the stair junction amidships

Both major test reports flagged the same thing. Stairs to the master, the guest deck, the wheelhouse, the galley and the crew quarters all converge in a small lobby on the starboard side, which MBY compared to an M.C. Escher drawing. The partially raised lower helm sits in the middle of it with limited sightlines aft and, in Harper's words, feels a little like an afterthought.

In practice crews adapt, and both testers drove from the flybridge, which is where most owners will helm anyway. The crew can reach their bow quarters via the side deck without crossing guest areas, which is a genuine superyacht touch at 86 feet. But if you plan to run the boat yourself from the lower station in poor weather, sit in that seat before you buy.

What the sea trials and builder data say

Azimut's own ISO 8666 figures, witnessed by Lloyd's Register, give a slow cruise of 13.2 knots at 12.5 liters per nautical mile and a fast cruise of 24 knots at 20.3 liters per mile, for ranges of 613 and 376 nautical miles. Converted, that is roughly 44 and 129 US gallons per hour. The current data sheet quotes up to 27 knots top speed and up to 23 knots cruise.

Independent testers saw more. Power and Motoryacht recorded a two-way top speed more than two knots above the 28 knots Azimut originally expected, with 12 people aboard and tanks more than half full. MBY likewise saw over 30 knots with a realistic load. The captain's preferred cruise was about 23 knots at 2,000 rpm, where Harper measured 64 dB(A) in the wheelhouse. MBY estimated a usable range of about 360 nautical miles at 24 knots with a 20 percent reserve and found the boat surprisingly agile, heeling hard into turns with the Seakeeper off and the Humphree interceptors on automatic.

How it compares with the 25 Metri and the Grande 27M

The 26M replaced the Grande 25 Metri. It is about the same length but nearly two feet wider (6.30 meters against about 6.2), swaps shafts and prop tunnels for flat stern panels and pods, moves the master up to the main deck and adds a fifth cabin. Fuel capacity also grew, and MBY found it measurably faster than its predecessor on the same engines. A used 25 Metri costs roughly half as much, which keeps it relevant for budget-minded buyers.

The Grande 27M (still in the range at 87 feet 10 inches and 6.59 meters of beam) is the step up, with a more superyacht-like volume and shaft-driven MAN V12-1900s. Buyers torn between the two usually choose the 26M for pod handling and efficiency, or the 27M for the extra beam and a more conventional engine installation.

Azimut Grande 26M specifications

Length overall	86.5 ft26.36 m
Beam	20.7 ft6.3 m
Draft	6.8 ft2.05 m
Displacement	186,068 lbs84,4 kg
Fuel capacity	2,245 gal8,5 L
Fresh water	396 gal1,5 L
Cabins	5 guest cabins (main deck master plus 4 below) and 2 crew cabins
Berths	10 guests plus 3 crew
Heads	6 guest heads plus 1 crew head
Standard engines	2 x MAN V12 1,650 hp with ZF Large POD 4600 (Salvagni interior version)
Optional engines	2 x MTU V10 1,622 hp with pods (Yachtique interior version); MAN V12 1,550 hp offered earlier
Maximum power	3,300 hp
Cruise speed	23 knots
Top speed	27 knots
Range	613 nm
Hull type	Planing hull for pod drives, 20.4 degrees deadrise amidships and 13.8 degrees at the transom
Hull construction	GRP hull with carbon fiber deck, superstructure, flybridge and hardtop
CE design category	A
Builder	Azimut Yachts (Azimut Benetti Group), Italy
Naval architect	P.L. Ausonio Naval Architecture with Azimut Yachts R&D
Other design credits	Alberto Mancini (exterior); Achille Salvagni or Yachtique (interior)
Production	2022 to present
Status	In production

Figures come from builder documentation and independent tests where available. Displacement is usually quoted light, so a loaded cruising boat will weigh more. Compare these specs with another model.

Performance data

Condition	Speed (kn)	Fuel (gph, approx.)	Range (nm)
Slow cruise	13.2	44	613
Fast cruise	24	129	376

Azimut ISO 8666:2020 sea trial witnessed by Lloyd's Register, published as liters per nautical mile (12.5 and 20.3); gallons per hour converted by us. Independent tests by Power and Motoryacht and MBY recorded top speeds above 30 knots.

How much does a Azimut Grande 26M cost?

New, typical sail-away$7.2M to $8.6M

Used, typical asking$5.4M to $7.2M

Yearly running costs$550K to $850K

YachtBuyer's 2026 market data shows new stock and in-build Grande 26M yachts from about $7.2 million, with near-new used boats built 2024 and 2025 asking $5.9 million to $7.2 million. The interior package (Salvagni or Yachtique), engine choice, Seakeeper plus optional fins, and the Deck2Deck terrace finish are the main price drivers. With 22 hulls sold in the first two months and close to 40 built, supply is healthy, which keeps used prices honest.

Estimated used asking prices by model year, US market, 2026

Estimate your yearly cost

Purchase price Engine hours per year Slip rate per foot per month Fuel price per gallon

A planning estimate using common rules of thumb: insurance near 1.5 percent of value, maintenance near 3 percent, haul out and bottom paint by length. Your marina, region and use will move these numbers. Open the full cost calculator.

Versions and options

Achille Salvagni interior: The launch interior with sculptural, organic forms and color accents, listed with twin 1,650 hp MAN V12 engines and pods.
Yachtique interior: A later organic, textural scheme in walnut, bronze and leather, listed with twin 1,622 hp MTU V10 engines and pods.
Full-beam VIP option: The two aft VIP cabins on the lower deck can be combined into one large full-beam cabin.

Azimut Grande 26M timeline

2021Azimut announces the Grande 26 Metri and Grande 36 Metri for the following season.
2022World debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, then Genoa; 22 units sold in the first two months.
2023Power and Motoryacht publishes Alan Harper's sea trial, recording over 30 knots.
2024American debut at the Palm Beach International Boat Show, per YachtBuyer.
2026Still in production with a choice of Salvagni or Yachtique interiors; about 39 built.

Strengths and weaknesses

What owners like

Five cabins and a main deck master at 86 feet
Deck2Deck terrace adds real dining space over the water
ZF pods give strong efficiency and close-quarters control
Tested faster than the builder's claim
Separate crew route to the bow quarters
Huge full-beam flybridge

What to weigh up

Congested stair junction around the lower helm
Lower helm has poor aft visibility
Twin guest cabin is cramped
Pods are a newer, single-supplier technology to service
Terrace cannot be used with the tender stowed

Used Azimut Grande 26M buyer checklist

Take this list to a viewing. Your ticks are saved in this browser so you can come back to it.

Get full service and software records for the ZF 4600 pods and their steering
Inspect pod seals, anodes and hull fairing around the pod pockets
Cycle the Deck2Deck door, railing hinges and infill panel
Check carbon superstructure and hardtop bonding lines for stress marks
Confirm whether fins were added to the standard Seakeeper and review its service history
Verify which engines (MAN or MTU) and which interior package are fitted
Test Humphree interceptors in auto mode at speed
Check the wheelhouse and stair area for squeaks and water ingress at the side doors

Always commission an independent marine survey and an engine survey before you buy. How a marine survey works.

Rivals to consider

Princess Y85

British flybridge with shafts, a lower deck master and a strong US service network.

Compare side by side

Ferretti Yachts 860

Sister-brand alternative; MBY estimated it burns about 18 percent more fuel than the 26M at 20 knots.

Compare side by side

Grand Banks 85

Slower, 2,000 hp long-range cruiser that MBY found burns about 25 percent less fuel than the 26M at 20 knots.

Sanlorenzo SL90A

Asymmetric Italian alternative with a more custom build and higher price.

Our verdict on the Azimut Grande 26M

The Azimut Grande 26M packs a remarkable amount of yacht into 86 feet. The ZF pods are not just a talking point: testers saw over 30 knots and Azimut's own witnessed figures show a 600-mile slow-speed range, while the Deck2Deck terrace and main deck master give it the feel of something much bigger. The compromises are concentrated amidships, where too many stairs meet around a token lower helm, and in the reliance on a still-young pod system. If you helm from the flybridge and want five cabins without a 100-foot dock bill, it is the most complete yacht in its size class from Italy right now.

Azimut Grande 26M questions answered

How much does the Azimut Grande 26M cost?

New boats start around $7.2 million in 2026 and can exceed $8.5 million with options. Near-new used examples ask about $5.9 million to $7.2 million.

How fast is the Azimut Grande 26M?

Azimut quotes up to 27 knots, but Power and Motoryacht and MBY both recorded over 30 knots on twin 1,650 hp MANs. Comfortable cruise is about 23 knots.

What is the range of the Grande 26M?

Azimut's witnessed data gives 613 nautical miles at 13.2 knots and 376 nautical miles at 24 knots from 2,245 gallons of fuel.

Is the Azimut 26 Metri the same as the Grande 26M?

Yes. Azimut first announced it as the Grande 26 Metri and now badges it Grande 26M.

How many cabins does the Grande 26M have?

Five guest cabins for ten guests, including a full-beam master on the main deck, plus two crew cabins for three.

What replaced the Grande 25 Metri?

The Grande 26M did, adding beam, pod drives, a main deck master and a fifth cabin.

Photos from the Azimut Yachts range

We have not found a freely licensed photo of the Azimut Grande 26M yet, so these show other Azimut Yachts boats, each captioned with the boat pictured.