What We Like
Sounds like a proper Maserati
Plush and comfortable cabin
Engine pulls with verve in Sport mode
Imposing car
What We Dislike
Uninspiring in Normal mode
Slightly ungainly especially in constrained spaces
infotainment system too complicated
When the Maserati Levante was launched last year, there were many questions swirling around it. But one question preceded them all - "why in the world is it a diesel?"
Yes, the Levante was initially offered with a diesel engine, and that posed all sort of problems. It's not that it was necessarily a bad engine per se, but a diesel effectively robs the Levante of its Maserati characteristics - the sound, most notably.
The car's aggressive looks are headlined by a gigantic grille at the frontNow, finally, the Levante now gets petrol power, in the form of this Levante S GranLusso. Does it really qualify as a real Maserati now?
It looks the part, sort of
The Levante exhibits enough of Maserati's visual flair. With its curvy lines, wavy sheet metal and chrome detailing, there is a certain Italian charm to the car's design.
However, you can't deny that it's a massive car. Everything about this is upsized - huge grille, huge tyres, huge everything. It's certainly imposing, at least from a size perspective.
Increased Control and Efficiency (I.C.E) mode dials down the car's performance for greater refinement and comfortThe interior does feel quite premium, with intricate detailing throughout the cabin. There is a certain complexity to the infotainment system's general operation that's slightly puzzling - there are way to many menus and sub menus. In a way, it feels like Maserati has made it slightly more complicated than it needed to be.
Elsewhere, everything you see and touch are plush and comfortable, more so the seats - though legroom at the rear isn't the best.
Does the Maserati experience translate to the road?
This really is the big question. We reckon it does, but not 100 percent of the time. See, dynamically, the Levante has a turn of character not seen in most other cars.
The cabin is a plush, stylish and refined place to be inIn Normal mode, the engine feels quite sluggish and unwilling to rev, and needs a lot of prodding with your right foot to really get it moving. Acceleration is best described as gradual lumber. Sonically, it's also very restrained and lacks the shoutiness you'd expect from a Maserati.
And yet, flick it into Sport mode and suddenly there's power previously undiscovered. The 424 horses and 580Nm of torque you thought had abandoned you reappear. Throttle response is sharpened immensely, the engine is suddenly much more willing, and the overall driving sensation improves dramatically.
Yes, the Levante was initially offered with a diesel engine, and that posed all sort of problems. It's not that it was necessarily a bad engine per se, but a diesel effectively robs the Levante of its Maserati characteristics - the sound, most notably.
It looks the part, sort of
The Levante exhibits enough of Maserati's visual flair. With its curvy lines, wavy sheet metal and chrome detailing, there is a certain Italian charm to the car's design.
However, you can't deny that it's a massive car. Everything about this is upsized - huge grille, huge tyres, huge everything. It's certainly imposing, at least from a size perspective.
Elsewhere, everything you see and touch are plush and comfortable, more so the seats - though legroom at the rear isn't the best.
Does the Maserati experience translate to the road?
This really is the big question. We reckon it does, but not 100 percent of the time. See, dynamically, the Levante has a turn of character not seen in most other cars.
The cabin is a plush, stylish and refined place to be in
And yet, flick it into Sport mode and suddenly there's power previously undiscovered. The 424 horses and 580Nm of torque you thought had abandoned you reappear. Throttle response is sharpened immensely, the engine is suddenly much more willing, and the overall driving sensation improves dramatically.
Put your foot down and the car surges forward with immense pace. This is accompanied by a distinct uptick in noise, the exhaust now spitting and popping as you get off the gas. It goes from dull to exciting in a flash, and the difference is stark.
In its Sport setting, the 3.0-litre V6 engine churns out intense power, accompanied by a fantastically loud soundtrackSo, technically, you could have the authentic Maserati experience all of the time (leave the car in Sport permanently), but it's going to burn a massive hole in your pocket as far as petrol is concerned.
For a car it's size and weight (2,109kg), the Levante handles better than you'd expect. Body roll is inevitable, but controlled reasonably well. You also ride very high, which is good for going over bumps, but not so good when wanting to corner fast.
So is this a real Maserati?
It's a complicated car, this Levante. As a Maserati, it's decent enough, but for a full-blown experience you'd pick something else like the Quattroporte, for example.
Lane Keep Assist and Blind Spot Assist are useless especially given the size of the LevanteAs a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), it's the same thing - decent enough, but there are better. And yet, somewhere in that intersection lies a car that will appeal to a particular demographic of drivers.
Compared to the diesel, this Levante S feels worlds apart. The diesel always felt like a slightly cynical product. Making an SUV because of its immense popularity is one thing. But chucking a diesel in purely for the sake of sensible efficiency is another thing altogether, which isn't Maserati-like. Sensible and Maserati shouldn't belong in the same sentence.
Ihe Levante S is an exotic and rapturous SUV that delivers the authentic Maserati sonic experienceThis Levante S feels more honest and truthful to the brand ethos. It feels the part, looks the part, but more than anything else, it sounds the part. It finally has that sense of flair and drama that Maseratis are known for.
And hey, if you want a rowdy and riotous Italian SUV, there's nothing else quite like it right now.
For a car it's size and weight (2,109kg), the Levante handles better than you'd expect. Body roll is inevitable, but controlled reasonably well. You also ride very high, which is good for going over bumps, but not so good when wanting to corner fast.
So is this a real Maserati?
It's a complicated car, this Levante. As a Maserati, it's decent enough, but for a full-blown experience you'd pick something else like the Quattroporte, for example.
Compared to the diesel, this Levante S feels worlds apart. The diesel always felt like a slightly cynical product. Making an SUV because of its immense popularity is one thing. But chucking a diesel in purely for the sake of sensible efficiency is another thing altogether, which isn't Maserati-like. Sensible and Maserati shouldn't belong in the same sentence.
And hey, if you want a rowdy and riotous Italian SUV, there's nothing else quite like it right now.
