The Maserati Levante is finally ready... meet the Maserati of SUVs
The Maserati Levante is finally ready... meet the Maserati of SUVs
First shown to the public in concept form in 2011 as the Maserati Kubang concept, Maserati has been working on refining their first-ever SUV.
Just as Jaguar and Bentley are entering the growing SUV sector for their first time with their F-Pace and Bentayga products, Maserati is the first Italian high-end SUV, and it is called Levante.
Maserati Levante is the Maserati of SUVs
The Maserati Levante is finally ready... meet the Maserati of SUVs. “The Maserati of SUVs” is how the maker of luxury sports cars and sedans are describing their SUV. By implication this would mean the same high-end quality in everything from engineering to interior finishes to on-road driving and exclusivity as status appeal.
Incorporating design cues from Maserati’s more than 100 year history (Maserati was founded in 1914) without tarnishing the brand’s strong reputation as builder of exclusive high-end cars was surely a designer’s challenge. Making in SUV is what the market requires… but making an SUV that is also a Maserati is no easy task. An aggressive front end, tapered headlights split into 2 elements (with upper headlight connected visually to the radiator grille) and the trademark Maserati triple side air vents on the front wings, trapezoidal C-pillar with the Saetta logo (that trident badge), frameless door windows… the shape is streamlined and meant to be typical of a high-performance sports car.
Technical level
At a technical level, Maserati Levante is designed to combine outstanding typical-Maserati on-road performance, handling even on low-grip surfaces, plus excellent off-road performance and ride.
Electronic air suspension with controlled damping, Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive and 8-speed automatic are all standard, and all calibrated specifically for the brand’s brand-new SUV.
Engine details have not been revealed, except for divulging that petrol and diesel engines are Euro 6 emissions compliant. Maserati already uses both fuel types in modern V6 turbo engines in Ghibli and Quattroporte (yes, diesel is available in both) and a petrol V8 turbo in Maserarti Quattroporte GTS, so the bet is that the Maserati Levante will also get these V6 and likely V8 engines too, which it will have to if it is to compete against the likes of the Porsche Cayenne (especially Cayenne turbo) and Range Rover Sport SVR.
The company states the Levante is “designed to be unique and built to be heard”. Maserati is not known to be shy with growly engines and exhausts, so we trust the “built to be heard” part will apply to Levante as well.
Where does the name Levante come from?
A Maserati must always have a distinctive name, strongly associated with the brand. Levante is a warm Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to gale force strebgth in an instant. Would this give in an indication of the type of drive – comfortable for general luxury drive, or high performance when called upon – to expect?
Confirmed for South Africa
Yes, local importers and distributors, Maserati South Africa, confirmed the Maserati Levante will be available in South Africa. First market launch, being built in Turin, Italy, is understandably for the European and bigger international markets, with South African Levante buyers hopefully getting their cars late 2016 or early 2017.
Having split from Viglietti and the Ferrari brand to now operate and be promoted as a brand on its own, the local setup offers the full range of Maserati products, namely Ghibli, Quattroporte, GranTurismo and GranCabrio, with Levante to fill the SUV position when it arrives.
No pricing has been revealed, though expect it to be around or just above the Porsche Cayenne or Range Rover Sport price ranges of R1m+.
Unveiling via live streaming
The Maserati Levante will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show on 01 March 2016. Stay tuned on www.maserati.com to follow the live streaming starting from 10:20 am CET.