The luxury SUV segment is a booming market right now and the premium automobile manufacturers are eager to get their share of the pie. The latest to join the bandwagon is Maserati with the Levante.
The stylish SUV, which was unveiled yesterday in Qatar, comes loaded with the luxury that the Italian marquee is famous for. But more importantly, Maserati will now have 100% market coverage in the luxury segment with the Levante.
“This is the first-ever SUV by Maserati, so it is a complete game-changer, particularly in this region. Maserati is renowned for exotic sports cars, so our mission was not just to build an SUV, but to build a Maserati. Exciting times are ahead and we are glad to be able to offer Maserati aficionados a completely new experience,” said Charly Dagher, general manager, Maserati Qatar at Alfardan Sports Motors.
This is one SUV that will turn heads. The trident up front nested among the vertical alloy slats gives this SUV a very imposing appearance. The sleek headlamp assembly, along with the minimalistic DRLs, further adds to its character.
Under the hood, the Levante boasts of very un-SUV like figures. The twin turbo3-litre V6 is available in two trims in Qatar. The top variant produces 430hp and will reach three digits in just 5.2 seconds. The 350hp variant will do it in 6 seconds. Both variants are mated to an eight-speed automatic ZF gearbox.
Maserati are also claiming that the Levante has the lowest centre of gravity among the category. This, along with a chassis evolved from the sedan platform, boosts the handling capabilities. The ride height of the Levante which is normally 210mm above the ground can be reduced to 170mm to further boost handling. This Maserati also has 50-50% weight distribution – like in the Ghibli.
With intelligent Q4 AWD system aided by standard Torque Vectoring, the Levante is an extremely capable off-roader too. It has done more than 1mn km of off-road testing, including on the dunes in the Middle East.
This Maserati, like the other offerings from this Italian stable, comes loaded with creature comforts including a forward collision warning and brake assist, a 360-degree surround view camera and an impressive 8.4-inch touch screen display.
With a new exclusive production line set up for the Levante at the Mirafiori plant, Maserati is all set to rake in the numbers.
The Levante comes with a host of features including an 8.4-inch touch screen and a 360-degree surround view camera.
