Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

92 | AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE

U

ntil the Levante, no SUV
had ever worn the trident
badge of Maserati. But you would
never guess from the way this
weighty Italian drives. Equipped
as standard with air springs and
variable dampers, the Levante is
more agile on a curvy road than a
high-riding 2.2-tonne fi ve-seater
has any right to be and, thanks
to a little help from Jeep, has
more off-road ability than any
customer is ever likely to exploit.
Maserati’s starting point for
development was the Ghibli
sedan, and the new SUV’s overall
length and wheelbase are almost
the same. Major changes for
the Levante include suspension
hardware designed to deliver
greater wheel travel, plus the
adoption of standard pneumatic
suspension that can hoist the
vehicle up to 40mm higher for
off-road work or lower it by up to
35mm for improved high-speed
stability and fuel effi ciency.
Mindful of the brand’s reputation
for handling, Maserati’s engineers

chose an aluminium-rich mix

for the Levante’s body and

suspension. While the Levante

isn’t light, its weight is at least in

the right places.

The company claims the

SUV has perfect 50:50 front-

to-rear weight distribution and

a lower centre of gravity than

any competitor. These physics-

friendly fundamentals are a fi rm

foundation for the Levante’s

driving dynamics.

The Levante tested here is

powered by the 202kW/600Nm

3.0-litre turbodiesel Maserati

buys from Italian diesel

specialists VM Motori.

Three models are available,

differing only in equipment. The

base Levante is $139,990 while

GranSport and GranLusso are

both priced at $159,990.

The VM Motori V6 is a very

good turbodiesel. It’s refi ned,

smooth and has oodles of

torque. But it does lack the

snappy responsiveness and

aural drama that are an integral

part of the Maserati brand

promise. It’s teamed with a

smooth, smart eight-speed

automatic transmission.

Levante petrol models run a

3.0-litre, twin-turbo petrol V6,

built by Ferrari.

In the base Levante, priced

at $125,000, it produces

257kW/500Nm. GranSport and

GranLusso are $144,990.

In Levante S, at $164,990,

it produces 316kW/580Nm of

torque, with the 0-100km/h trip

taking 5.2 seconds.

GranSport and GranLusso S

are both priced at $179,990.

The Levante’s exterior manages

to look sleek for an SUV without

going totally pseudo-coupe

like, say, BMW’s X6. But the big

Maserati, from some angles, does

look like a small hatchback that’s

been put on a photocopier and

blown up to 150 per cent.

The cabin is luxuriously Italian,

with a decently spacious rear

seat and a useful 680-litre cargo

compartment.

This is also the fi rst Maserati

to come equipped with a suite

of infotainment and driver-aid

technologies to rival the Germans.

Levante Diesel’s $139,990

starting price is a reasonable

$10,000-or-so more than a Ghibli

with the same engine.

What isn’t so reasonable is

that Audi’s superb seven-seat Q7

3.0 TDI Quattro, with a 200kW V6

turbodiesel, costs about $35,000

less. In petrol territory, the new

Porsche Cayenne S, priced at

$154,700 with a 324kW 2.9-litre

twin turbo, is the best handling

big SUV you can buy. In corners,

Levante won’t see where it went.

Is a Maserati badge worth the

extra money? That’s your call.

By John Carey

MASERATI LEVANTE FROM $125,000

THINGS WE LIKE

 Ride and handling on standard air

suspension

 Turbodiesel’s torque and refi nement

 Classy interior design and fi t-out

 Decent cargo space

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

 Looks a bit stodgy

 Only fi ve seats

 Radar cruise, lane departure and

collision warning are options

 Porsche Cayenne and Audi Q7 are

equally competent and better value

SPEX

 Made in Italy

 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel/eight-speed

automatic/all-wheel drive

 202kW of power at 4000rpm/600Nm

of torque from 2000-2600rpm

 0–100km/h in 6.9 seconds (claimed)

 6.6L/100km highway; 8.2L/100km

city; CO 2 emissions are 189g/km;

fuel tank is 80 litres

 Max towing weight 2700kg

 Warranty: Three years/unlimited

kilometres

 Standard: Six airbags, stability

control, leather upholstery, power

tailgate, 8.4-inch touchscreen

infotainment, digital radio,

Bluetooth, navigation, dual zone

air, blind spot and rear cross traffi c

alert, 19-inch alloys with 265/50

tyres

 Redbook future values: 3yr: 54%;

5yr: 40%

Safety

Not yet tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money



Overall



STARS

compare with ...

Audi Q7, BMW X5, Mercedes GLE,

Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover

Sport