First details of the 2018 Maserati Levante S have
been announced ahead of its Australian introduction in the second
half of 2017, finally bringing petrol power to the Italian SUV’s range. The
company claims the Levante has been responsible
for Maserati’s 50 per cent growth in sales so far this year, and hopes the new
petrol model will build on that.
Under the bonnet is a Ferrari-built 3.0-litre
twin-turbo V6 engine, developing a healthy 430 Hp of power and 580 Nm of torque.
That makes it 155 Hp more powerful than the diesel, though maximum torque is
down by 20 Nm.
Drive is sent to all four wheels via an eight-speed
automatic transmission sourced from ZF, with 0-100 km/h taking 5.2 seconds – 1.7
seconds quicker than the current sole diesel offering. The
Levante S’s top speed climbs to 264 km/h, significantly up on the diesel’s still
impressive 230 km/h. Fuel consumption, on the other hand, is rated at
10.9L/100km on the combined cycle, a fair way higher than the diesel’s
7.2L/100km claim.
Unique features to the Levante S include a bi-modal
exhaust system, larger 19-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 265/50 ZR19 front and
295/45 ZR19 rear tyres, along with a performance brake system which includes
Brembo six-piston 380mm drilled discs at the front and 330mm drilled discs at
the rear with aluminium 42mm floating calipers.
Full pricing and specifications will be released
closer to the Levante S’s on-sale date in the second half of this year.
