2017 Maserati Levante SUV
Five years after Maserati
prepared the lucrative SUV market with the 2011 Kubang
Concept, the Italians have introduced the production model named the Levante.
The brand’s first ever SUV will have its
world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show in March. In the meantime, production
of the Levante has already started at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles Mirafiori
assembly plant in Italy, with sales to begin in Europe this spring, followed by
the rest of the world later this year.
The luxury mid-size crossover doesn’t
stray far away from the original Kubang study, packing a dramatic snout with a
large grille and aggressively styled headlamps, a sporty profile with flowing lines,
but also a somewhat nameless rear end styling that mostly stands out through
the quad exhaust pipes.
Maserati is keeping the
interior a secret for now, but it will reveal a familiar design similar to the Ghibli with
plenty of leather covering most surfaces, and a large screen on the center
console for the infotainment system.
The leaked engine specs confirm the same range as the
Ghibli sedan, with two 3.0-liter V6 gasoline units for the Levante 350 and 430,
and a 3.0-liter V6 diesel.
According to the spec-sheet, the Levante
350 can manage the 0-100 km/h in 6.3 seconds and top out at 243 km/h, with the Levante 450 completing the same in 5.2 seconds and reaching
264 km/h. The diesel version is said to tap 100 km/h from
standstill in 6.9 seconds and has a top speed of 230 km/h.
Maserati stated that at a technical
level, the “Levante's chassis is designed to combine the outstanding on-road
performance typical of every Maserati with unrivalled handling even on very
low-grip surfaces and an excellent off-road performance and ride.”
All models will come fitted with a
“sophisticated” electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs,
the firm’s “Q4” intelligent all-wheel drive and a specially-calibrated 8-speed
automatic transmission, as standard.
