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Maserati will join the ranks of luxury manufacturers offering SUVs this spring when the Levante enters UK showrooms.
The car will be revealed next week at the Geneva Motor Show and is expected to be priced from £65,000 which would place it in the middle of Maserati’s expanding line-up. The launch will also see Maserati competing against Bentley’s new Bentayga SUV.
Maserati is keeping tight lipped about specification but has confirmed petrol and diesel powertrains will be available. Industry watchers have speculated that engine options could include two versions of the 3-litre V6 petrol engine currently used in the Ghibli and Quattroporte. A 3-litre V6 diesel is also expected.
Standard to all versions will be electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs, which can be set on several levels, ‘Q4’ intelligent all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission specially calibrated for the new SUV.
Maserati is claiming the car will perform well off-road with a chassis that will “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.”
Maserati first hinted at its SUV aspirations with the Kubang concept in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. The Levante has evolved from that car, its styling in particular carefully designed to reflect the current Maserati model range.
Most notable is the family grille, into which the top sections of the split headlamps flow. Maserati design signatures also include the three air vents on the wings, a trapezoidal C-pillar with the brand’s Saetta logo and large, frameless door windows. The sharply tapering rear end includes a roof spoiler.
