Italian luxury-sport marque Maserati have introduced their first-ever SUV, the Levante, in India from Rs 1.45 crore (ex-showroom).
Sport-utility vehicles are fast becoming automotive staples and every manufacturer, from Alfa Romeo to Rolls-Royce, have something up their sleeves. Another name seen in Formula 1 and famous for their sports cars to go ahead and add an SUV to their portfolio is Maserati. The Levante, named after a Mediterranean wind that can go from calm to gale force in a matter of seconds, is the first SUV in their prestigious stable.
Its styling is distinctly Maserati, with a huge chrome front grille dominating the head-on profile with Poseidon’s trident adorning the centre. The rest of the car appears curvaceous and sporty in its dimensions. Yet, it’s quite large. Measuring 5,003 mm long, 1,968 mm wide, 1,679 mm high, and running a wheelbase of 3,004 mm, the Levante is quite a sight to behold. It’s also 247 mm of the ground – the first Maserati to ride so high, too. The boot is a voluminous 580 litres with the rear seats up.
The Levante is available with only one driveline choice in India: the 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, making 275 PS at 4,000 rpm and 600 Nm between 2,000 and 2,600 rpm, paired to a ZF eight-speed automatic driving the Q4 all-wheel-drive system. There are essentially seven drive modes available: Normal, Sport, Off Road – each with manual and automatic modes – and an I.C.E. (Increased Control and Efficiency) mode for not just better control in icy or low-grip conditions, but also maximum efficiency, with imperceptible gear shifts as well as lowered boost pressure. The Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive system is 100 per cent rear-biased but can deliver up to 50 per cent of the power to the front in just 150 milliseconds. The Levante Diesel Q4 can sprint from 0-100 km/h in 6.9 seconds and get up to 230 km/h; not too bad for a 2.2-tonne vehicle.
There are three trim levels available: standard, priced at Rs 1.45 crore, the sportier GranSport, priced at Rs 1.49 crore, and the most luxurious of the lot, the GranLusso, priced at Rs 1.54 crore. Individual specification details for each trim haven’t been divulged, but top-quality leather, contrast stitching, fine wood inlays and platinum-effect metal trim are present in each of them. Wheel sizes should range from anywhere between 19 to 21 inches. The highlight is the human-machine interface on board, incorporating an 8.4-inch high-resolution screen and a rotary controller on the centre console.
The safety kit, available on request, includes a range of active and passive features including adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic brake assist, lane departure warning. More options include a blind-spot alert, surround-view camera and a powered tailgate.
Bojan Jankulovski, Head of Operations at Maserati India, said: “The introduction of 2018 Levante is our commitment to satisfy the significantly increasing demand for premium SUVs in India. The design, exclusivity and performance are the key characteristics when describing this new Maserati; and will turn out to be a distinguishing factor for the Trident in the luxury SUV space.”
Story: Jim Gorde
