Maserati brings you the Levante
What's different these days is that high-end SUVs are increasingly popular. Porsche did a great job with their Cayenne and the Bentley seems tolerated as well, to name a few. Now it's on Maserati to see what they can offer.
The Levante started life years and years ago named Kubang. At first we were a bit skeptical, but as soon as the first teasers appeared we were reassured. On top of that, it's not easy manufacturing a car in this segment that actually looks pretty.
After the exterior was leaked via AutoWeek, Maserati decided to introduce their SUV a bit earlier than planned. In short: the Levante basically is a heightened Ghibli with a 50/50 weight distribution. The expected 3 liter diesel engine straight out the Ghibli is present and delivers 275bhp that takes the Levante from zero to sixty in under seven seconds. Both other engine options are 3 liter V6 petrol engines and deliver 350bhp and 430bhp for the Levante S, the fastest Levante that is. The S is the more interesting car since it accelerates to a hundred as fast as a GranTurismo. Every Levante is as standard equipped with AWD and adjustable suspension that has five different setting, to fit the situation every time.
Interior
The 164 mph SUV got its fully leather interior inspired by the Ghibli and Quattroporte. What's fortunate to see is that the ergonomics are jumping ahead. In the centre of the dashboard Maserati fitted a 8,4" infotainment system that seems to operate like BMW's iDrive system. Both the Ghibli and Quattroporte don't have this on their option list yet. Maserati also introduces new sport seats.