The Maserati Levante is a mid-size luxury crossover SUV based on the Kubang concept car, that debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, and built by Maserati at the Mirafiori factory in Turin, Italy starting in 2016.
Brilliant Details, Remarkable Craftsmanship, in every aspect of its design, the Levante is authentically Maserati—from its powerful, dynamic style to its purity of purpose, down to the smallest detail.
The Levante offers Italian performance backed with an expressively designed exterior—rather like an automotive Mona Lisa. Its turbocharged engines are powerful and offer thrilling sounds—and acceleration. The ride is firm, but handling can be a bit tippy due to the high center of gravity; brakes are strong. The interior has lots of wood and leather; an 8.4-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, and Android Auto are standard, but onboard Wi-Fi is not available. A hot-rod Trofeo model is new for 2019.
Every Maserati is like a work of art constructed with the care and attention that only the human hand can provide.
Maserati’s first SUV is here, and it’s good. The basic $75,250.00 USD Levante packs a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 making 345 horsepower; the S model gets 424 horses from a similar engine. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission. The suspension includes adaptive dampers and imbues this SUV with road manners and handling that come across as more sports sedan than off-roader. It veers toward too firm, in fact. But all is forgiven when you mat the throttle and discover how quick the Levante is and how snarly it can sound. Oh, and if you ever want to collect your gold bullion from the bank, this Maser will tow almost 6000 pounds.
The Levante Collection
Every Levante is powered by a twin-turbo V6 or V8 engine designed by Maserati Powertrain and built exclusively by Ferrari at their factory in Maranello, Italy. Taking performance to a new level, the Levante offers everything you’d expect of a Maserati—from snarling responsiveness to long-distance refinement.
Levante
Levante S
Levante GTS
Levante TROFEO
GranLusso and GranSport Series
With GranLusso, the style is focused on luxury. With GranSport, it’s more about engaging driving dynamics. Both series options are available on the Levante and Levante S.
Levante is a wind that blows across the Mediterranean, transforming from benign calm to gale force in an instant. The Maserati SUV that bears its name assures such mighty power always remains under complete control. With the stability of Maserati Q4 intelligent all-wheel drive, the Levante maintains its refined composure even when the going gets tough.
• Powerful V6 and V8 engines built at the Ferrari factory in Maranello, Italy
• Up to 590 hp and 0-60 mph in 3.7 seconds1 with Levante Trofeo V8
• Maserati Q4 intelligent all-wheel drive stays composed over all terrain
• Maserati Skyhook performance suspension with electronic damping control for sport handling
• 5-way active air suspension offers maximum off-road capability
• Luxurious interiors with leather or class-exclusive Ermenegildo Zegna silk upholstery
Every Levante offers an enhanced choice of paint colors, trims and alloy wheels, new Adaptive LED Matrix headlamps, and advanced Integrated Vehicle Control.
Comprehensive Safety and Security
Every Levante is designed and built to provide world-class levels of safety and security, a top priority for Maserati. Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) An available Driver Assistance Package equips Levante with a range of Advanced Driving Assistance Systems that offer greater peace of mind—whether you’re on a grand tour or a dash through the city.
The GranLusso offers front Comfort seats with extensive 12-way power adjustment and a memory function for instant access to preset configurations. There is also the choice of either full premium Italian leather or Ermenegildo Zegna Silk Edition upholstery, both beautifully complemented by Radica open-pore wood trim. Additionally, the power-adjustable steering wheel is finished in fine wood.
The front Sport seats hug driver and passenger, offering excellent support as well as 12-way power adjustment and memory function. A firmly bolstered, powered Sport steering wheel with multifunction buttons, brushed chrome gearshift paddles and power aluminum Sport foot pedals are sure to appeal to purists.
Craftsmanship
Together, elegant Italian style, meticulously crafted finishes and a unique, race-bred energy inspire luxurious, long-distance travel. The Levante also imparts a liberating feeling of spacious comfort for all on board, a welcome surprise given the coupe-like styling and compact exterior proportions of Maserati’s striking SUV.
The seats of the Levante are hand-stitched and finished in sumptuous leather. Maserati also offers the Ermenegildo Zegna Silk Edition interior, standard on GranLusso. It combines the finest leather with mulberry silk inserts, embellished with a hand-stitched micro-chevron pattern. The door panels, roof lining and sun visor are covered with Zegna silk jersey.
All switches and controls are designed to be close at hand and intuitive in their operation. The speedometer and rev counter, housed in a leather-finished binnacle, are large and backlit with soft white light to ensure crisp clarity at all times. Integrated among this instrumentation is a 7-inch TFT display that presents essential driving data.
To fulfill its dual role of luxury SUV and go-anywhere four-by-four, the Maserati Levante features some of the most sophisticated air suspension technology in the world.
Along with advanced Maserati Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive technology, the Levante also benefits from an advanced active air suspension system that raises or lowers the vehicle according to need or preference.
With six settings to choose from (including Park), the driver can select whatever height is appropriate for the road or terrain, from a high clearance for challenging off-road excursions to a low setting for fast, smooth and efficient highway driving.
The Levante is the only SUV in its class equipped with mechanical Limited-Slip Differential (LSD) at the rear axle. Fitted as standard, this technology optimizes traction in all driving situations. The asymmetric locking feature offers 25% lockup under power and 35% under release.
Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC+): the elegant display of the 8.4-inch MTC+ unit takes pride of place at the center of the Levante dashboard. With a minimum of buttons that incorporate multimedia and cabin functions, it can be operated in three ways: via the multi-touchscreen, the rotary control on the center console or through voice commands.
Apple CarPlay® and Android Auto™: the MTC+ supports the convenience of both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto mirroring functions.
Harman Kardon Premium Sound system: this state-of-the-art entertainment system delivers rich and detailed sound quality, whether the source is radio, MP3 player, iPhone® or audio streaming device. It features a 900-watt amplifier and 14 speakers with high-power handling capability carefully distributed throughout the cabin.
Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound system: this optional entertainment system features 17 speakers, including mid-range drivers and rear woofers made from Kevlar®, each strategically built into the SUV’s architecture and powered by a 1,280-watt amplifier to deliver immersive sound for all on board.
Safety
The Maserati Stability Program (MSP) uses an array of sensors to constantly monitor driving status. It can then deploy a host of safety and performance systems to maintain handling and grip. If, for instance, a skid is detected, MSP selectively reduces engine torque and can activate the brakes with finely varied inputs to restore stability within milliseconds.
Advanced Driving Assistance Systems
The Levante is equipped with an impressively comprehensive range of Advanced Driving Assistance Systems. It means even greater peace of mind, whether you’re on a continent-crossing grand tour, dashing across town or taking on rough terrain.
BUILD YOUR OWN every Maserati is like a work of art constructed with the care and attention that only the human hand can provide.
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Research to Action © 2018 Time Network (Canada)
