2018 Maserati Levante Test Drive Review

2018 Maserati Levante Review

Car Tested: 2018 Maserati Levante; Road Test No. 910

Price OTR Mumbai: Rs. 1.71 – 1.81 Crores

The Maserati Levante looks the part and it feels quite special and exclusive too

The luxury car market has grown by leaps and bounds over the past few years and new product launches have been quite interesting, with automakers exploring new segments and body styles and venturing out of their comfort zones too. One such automaker is Maserati. This Italian company has always been known for their sports cars which are low-slung, offer excellent driving feel but come with certain flaws too. Now, the same company has ventured into the luxury SUV segment with the Levante, which is quite out of the ordinary. So, time to find out whether the Levante lives up to the massive hype that it has generated.

Motor Quest: The Maserati Levante is based on the Kubang concept SUV that was first showcased at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2011. The vehicle is manufactured at the company’s Turin plant. While other countries get multiple engine options, the Indian market gets only the diesel engine, at least for now.

Exteriors – We will have to give it to the automaker for designing an SUV that’s so much a Maserati in its silhouette. The long swooping bonnet, imposing front grille with the chrome bars and of course the Trident logo, iconic triple air vents and a strong character line that runs from the rear door to the rear fender on the side make this vehicle, unmistakably a Maserati. The sleek projector headlights with LED DRLs, round fog lights placed just below the headlights, sporty bumper and the beautifully sculpted wheel arches give the Levante a lot of character.

The SUV is offered in two variants – GranLusso and GranSport. GranLusso focuses more on luxury while the GranSport trim is sports-oriented. The GranSport trim gives you 20-inch Nereo light alloy wheels and the GranLusso trim comes with 19-inch Zefiro light alloy wheels. The rear profile is the most beautifully put together part of the SUV with a sloping roofline and a raked windshield. The LED tail-lights might remind you of the Ghibli.

Interiors – The design of the dashboard is similar to some other cars from the stable. However, what’s different here is the sense of space and the driving position, all thanks to the SUV form factor. Remember this is an Italian car and the quality of materials used in the cabin speak for themselves. Choose the GranLusso trim and you get exotic wood, leather and even natural silk from Zegna (a first on any production car) while the GranSport trim gets a cabin with carbon-fibre design elements. The quality of materials and ergonomics are also far better than say, the Ghibli. While German cars still get better quality all around, the Levante has some rough edges too and certain parts in the cabin are also shared with other cars from the FCA stable.

Some parts like switches, stalks and knobs are shared with other FCA cars

There is a 3-spoke steering wheel and behind it are the analogue instrument gauges with a large 7-inch central MID display. An 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system called Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC+) with a standard 280-Watts 8-speaker audio system takes care of the infotainment duties. There is also an option of a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon Premium Sound system or a 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins Surround Sound system. The infotainment system gets USB, AUX, SD Card, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. While the audio system sounds good, it isn’t as modern or feature-loaded as some of the Levante’s rivals. The infotainment system can be operated via touch or the rotary dials on the centre console or even by voice commands.

While the front seats aren’t the most comfortable in the segment, they do offer good cushioning and support. While space at the rear is good but not all that great, the rear seat is extremely comfortable once you get in and the premium upholstery inside the cabin does offer a feel-good factor. Other features offered are panoramic sunroof, dual-zone climate control (four-zone is optional), 12-way electrically adjustable front seats with memory function, soft close doors and front and rear parking sensors with reversing camera. The vehicle gets 580-litres of boot space and the ground clearance can be reduced to 162 mm for easier loading.

Performance – It is quite sad that the Maserati Levante gets only 1 engine option in India, the 3.0-litre V6 diesel. The oil-burner gives out a strong 275 HP of power at 4000 RPM and 600 Nm of torque between 2000-2600 RPM. Performance from this engine isn’t all that bad, but it isn’t very exciting either. The engine has a good surge of power and the torque wave is also punchy but power delivery is linear and the car just won’t give you the feeling of being pushed back in your seat when you pin the throttle. So while 0-100 km/hr comes up in a claimed 6.9 seconds, the car doesn’t “feel” that quick. Also, top speed is limited to 230 km/hr.

Maserati should quickly bring in the powerful petrol engine in India too

Now what I really love about this engine is the rumble that it makes, and thus, I feel this is the best sounding diesel engine in this segment and actually lends a sporty feel to the car. Sport mode definitely makes the Trident SUV more responsive while the ZF 8-speed gearbox complements the engine well and responds to the driver’s inputs quickly. Cruising at around 100 km/hr in top gear, the RPM needle hovers around the 1400 RPM mark. Talking about fuel efficiency, well this is a V6 engine pulling a 2.2 tonne car so efficiency is around 8-9 km/l under regular driving conditions but it improves slightly when you’re out on the highways cruising for long distances.

Driving Dynamics – The Maserati Levante gets a tight chassis with 50:50 weight distribution which makes it feel very planted and confident around corners even at high speeds. I liked that the steering is a bit heavy and not feather-light but some more feedback would have definitely been sweeter. The Levante feels very planted on the highways at high speeds but due to the high ground clearance of 207 mm, the ride feels a bit floaty. However, you can enable the Sport setting for the dampers to address this issue. Otherwise, the suspension feels well suited to our roads and the 50-profile 19-inch tyres also tackle our potholes really well. The SUV also gets air springs and hence you can increase the ground clearance to 247 mm if you’re off-roading.

Safety and After Sales Service – The Levante gets safety tech like ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Hill Hold Assist, Hill Descent Control, adaptive front lighting system, six airbags, tyre pressure monitoring system, surround view camera, Active Blind Spot Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Lane Departure Warning, Adaptive Cruise Control and Forward Collision Warning. After sales service is limited to Mumbai and Bengaluru only and since the Levante is a CBU, you might even have to bury your pockets for spare parts and service costs.

Verdict – The Maserati Levante is priced at a rather optimistic Rs. 1.54 crores (ex-showroom) which makes us wonder whether the car is really worth that kind of moolah. Well, not really. At that price point, there are a lot of modern rivals which offer more car for the price than what the Levante does. However, the Trident badge offers unparalleled exclusivity and with the catchy styling, this Maserati SUV does stand out on our roads. So if you don’t mind spending some big ones on getting a car that will set you apart from the Germans and Brits owned by people in your golf club, the Levante could be the perfect choice.

What’s Cool

* Styling is just wow!
* Interiors far better than other Maserati offerings
* Ride and handling balance is very good
* Diesel engine sounds SWEET

What’s Uncool

* Engine performance isn’t all that exciting
* Pricing is very optimistic

Alternatives: Range Rover Sport, BMW X6, Jaguar F-Pace, Porsche Cayenne

2018 Maserati Levante Specifications

* Engine: 2987cc, V6, Twin-Turbo, DOHC
* Power: 275 HP @ 4000 RPM
* Torque: 600 Nm @ 2000-2600 RPM
* Transmission: 8-Speed AT
* Fuel Consumption: 8-10 km/l
* Fuel Type: Diesel
* Suspension: Advanced Active Air Suspension
* Tyres: 265/50/19
* Brakes: Discs (Front & Rear), ABS
* Safety: 6 airbags, ABS, EBD, ISOFIX, Hill Hold Assist, TPMS, Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Warning, Hill Descent Control, Active Blind Spot Assist

2018 Maserati Levante Dimensions

* Overall length x width x height: 5003 mm X 2158 mm X 1679 mm
* Wheelbase: 3004 mm
* Ground Clearance: 207 mm
* Boot Space: 580-litres
* Turning Radius: 5.85-metres
* Fuel Tank Capacity: 80-litres
* Kerb Weight: 2205 kgs

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