Maserati is an established Italian luxury automotive brand better known for its racing, sports, and Grand Touring cars. The current SUV boom has forced fellow Italian and European luxury sports brands into risking their brand reputation with new luxurious and practical family carriers. But it is safe to say the reception has been better than they expected. The Modena outfit jumped onto the trend with the Levante in 2016, which was great for their first SUV attempt.
The Maserati Levante comes with the muscle and flair you might not find in most Japanese and German luxury mid-size SUVs. They've brought their sports performance DNA to the segment like Lamborghini did with the Urus or Aston Martin with the DBX. It features an eager driving demeanor backed by a hair-raising exhaust note. But it isn't perfect, as it comes short of its rivals in refinement. Here are ten things you should know about the Maserati Levante.
10 The Levante Features Unique Italian Styling
Amidst their recent ups and downs, Maserati has a portfolio featuring some of history's most beautiful and recognizable cars. They've been at it for a century now, and their DNA is apparent on the Levante's surfaces with the unique and attractive Italian styling.
The Levante departs from the traditional German luxury SUV looks. Its seductive bodywork features a gaping, concave grille with the Maserati trident badge. Also, the slender headlights and an elongated and bulging hood provide the Levante with an unmissable road presence.
9 The Levante Comes With Peppy V6 & V8 Powertrain Options
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Maserati's heritage involves building solid racing cars with origins stretching back to the early 1900s. The Levante comes in bulky proportions, a departure from the Maserati norm, but underneath lies vibrant powertrains that resonate with the brand's racing pedigree. The base trim comes with a twin-turbo V6 pumping out 350hp, and you can have an improved version with 430hp.
At the top of the range is a Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V8 delivering killer performance with its 580 ponies. All models send power to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. The V6 provides a zero-to-60mph launch time of 5.1 seconds, and the V8 cuts that to 3.6 seconds in the Trofeo trim.
8 An SUV With Maserati Grand Touring Prowess
After the Second World War, Maserati built great grand tourers that helped cement its road-car reputation. The tradition has persisted and trickled down to the eagerly awaited Maserati GranTurismo. And the Levante is a modern take on the brand's proven grand-touring formula in an SUV body.
The Levante is a unique take on the SUV segment, featuring the comfort, speed, and luxury of an Italian grand tourer. It is undoubtedly an SUV, but with the cruising adventure traits of classic Maserati grand tourers.
7 The Maserati Levante Is Highly Practical
The Levante isn't the most practical luxury SUV out there, considering it has one of the smallest cargo spaces compared to rivals. Still, it effortlessly builds the Italian styling and performance upon the foundations of a practical SUV and is arguably the most practical vehicle in Maserati's storied history.
It has bigger external dimensions than its eternal rival, the Porsche Cayenne, but the 20cubic feet of storage space is closer to the smaller Macan than the Cayenne. But, it should accommodate a respectable number of suitcases with the rear seats folded.
6 The Levante Has Zippy Handling And Eager Driving Demeanor
Yes, the Levante is heavy, but it has a sporty demeanor with exhilarating acceleration and handling. Thanks to the capable engine options, the Levante will keep up with any of its performance SUV rivals on the straight line, but it handles more like a sports car than an unwieldy SUV.
The Levante has a direct and precise steering feel, providing stable and lively handling, helping it tackle corners easily. It is a fun ride over tight, twisty roads, and it makes unnatural turns for an SUV thanks to its grippy tires, minimal body roll, and advanced torque-vectoring.
5 Straightforward Tech And Infotainment Features
The Maserati Levante comes equipped with a straightforward infotainment system featuring a responsive touch screen and an array of user-friendly physical controls. The standard 8.4-inch display is smaller than you'll find on some of its rivals, but it comes with zero complications or drag. It also comes bundled with Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, satellite radio access, four USB ports, and Bluetooth.
All models come standard with DAB and sat-nav, and you can control all functions from the infotainment display, which features voice-activated virtual assistance. Also, there is an option for a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system or a 17-speaker Bower & Wilkins surround stereo.
4 Four Trim Options For 2022
The 2022 model year sees an overhaul of the Levante lineup. They dropped the familiar GranLusso, GranSport, and GTS, and now we have four trim options; the base GT, the Modena, Modena S, and the range-topping Trofeo. The GT and the Modena receive different versions of the V6 motor, while the Modena S gets the punchier twin-turbo V8.
The Trofeo model gets nearly identical standard features as the Modena S, but with the range-topping V8 motor. While it is fantastic fun to drive, it returns terrible fuel economy.
3 The Levante Is Wildly Expensive
The base Levante GT starts at $87,600, with prices shooting up steeply as you scale the trim levels to the Trofeo with an MSRP of $161,400. The GT has the highest base price in the segment, costing tens of thousands of dollars more than the least expensive trims in the class. Its mortal enemy, the Porsche Cayenne, starts at $70k, while the BMW X5 starts much lower at $62k.
Even at the higher end of the price spectrum, the range-topping Porsche Cayenne Turbo offers a bargain with its $135k base price, and despite being cheaper, it manages to offer more than the Trofeo.
2 The Levante Has An Uninspiring Interior
Maserati should have appointed the cabin with unmatched luxury with the price they asked for. Instead, the Levante comes with an uninspiring interior with strong cues from its distant mainstream cousins from Jeep and Chrysler.
At first glance, it appears rich with the leather-covered dashboard, wood trims, chrome accents, and an analog clock. But in the best case of don't judge a book by its cover, you discover the cheapish parts like the controls, window switches, ignition buttons, and more, which are similar to those on the cheaper Jeep Cherokee.
1 One Of The Best Sounding SUVs
The Maserati Levante is a vehicle with glaring flaws, but its lively driving demeanor can easily make enthusiasts forget the premium pricing and an interior that lacks polish. And then there is the spine-tingling exhaust note that gives it personality and makes it one of the best-sounding SUVs on the market.
The Levante is at its beastly best in the Trofeo model when you switch to the Corsa driving mode. It turns up the bellowing exhausts of the twin-turbo V8, besides switching off the traction control and sharpening all the vehicle controls.