Car Review: The Maserati Levante
Sporty SUVs are all the rage these days and when it comes to a luxury brand such as Maserati you’d probably be just as excited as we were to step inside and see what the engineers and designers came up with. Not surprising, given Maserati’s history of making some of the world’s most desirable sports cars, finding out what Maserati’s version of an SUV would entail certainly had us itching to get in!
Also read: We got a sneak peak at the Maserati Levante!
The Maserati Levante was launched in South Africa late last year and while we only got to see it in metal then, this time we finally had the chance to get behind the wheel and spend some time driving it.
The name says it all
The name ‘Levante’ was inspired by the warm, Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to gale force in an instant, and when driving Maserati’s version of an SUV, you’d probably agree that the name is adequately suited to its performance.
Image via Kim van Zyl Photography
Power and performance
Currently, only one derivative is available in South Africa and that’s the 3,0-litre diesel V6, while the current petrol version hasn’t yet been set for right-hand-drive models. Maserati South Africa aims to sell around ten units per month to an increased 200 per year.
The 3-litre engine is capable of 275 hp and delivers 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and a 230 km/h maximum speed.
Image via Kim van Zyl Photography
It offers a considerable amount of power yet fuel consumption sits at a low 7,2-litres/100km under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC). It pumps 202kW of power and 600Nm of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission to all four wheels. We drove the V6 turbo diesel engine through to Franschoek and believe me, it roars through the mountain passes if you want it to, especially when you’re throwing around corners. It’s got more than enough power although others felt that out on the big open road the engine lacked ever so slightly.
The Levante offers four drive modes: ‘Normal’ , I.C.E , ‘Sport’ and ‘Off-road’
Comfort and interior
Maserati has done its best to provide the highest levels of comfort to cater towards a spacious SUV but it still maintains its sporty feel. Step inside and you’re met with premium leather, fine woods and handcrafted stitching, just to name a few. Everything inside feels great to touch and overall the interior quality is a big step up from older Maseratis. Of course, there’s the traditional Maserati clock situated above Maserati’s latest infotainment system. Speaking of its infotainment system, it’s a touchscreen but can also be controlled by a rotary dial further down.
While from the outside the Levante is close in size to the Porsche Cayenne, the inside is surprisingly spacious. Leg and headroom is roomy yet it still maintains a 580 litre boot space capacity.
On the outside
There’ quite a selection of colours and materials to choose from. In fact the colour range consists of thirteen colours including two solid colours (Nero and Bianco), three metallic colour, Grigio Metallo, Grigio and the new Verde Ossido, two “metallescent” colours, Grigio Maratea and Campagne, and five in mica, Nero Ribelle, Blue Passione, Blu Emozione, the new Rosso Rubino and Rame. There’s also one pearlescent colour, Bianco Alpi.
Four lightweight alloy wheels reflect the Maserati design style with a Trident design neatly intergrated into the spokes. Maserati has equipped the Levante with 18″ tyres as standard with a range of options – 19″, 20″ and 21″.
Pricing
The Levante retails from R1 650 000 as standard while optional extras will keep the price-mark under R2 000 000.