Review: 2019 Maserati Levante
Another week and another sportscar manufacturer buckles to the seemingly endless demand for performance SUVs, this time Aston Martin and the DBX. Maserati is already there of course, the Levante sharing its platform and engines with the more traditional Ghibli and Quattroporte saloons. But the Levante is the one in tune with modern tastes and, accordingly, has benefitted from a series of rolling updates. The latest is more significant, tweaking the looks and increasing engine options to include a new 3.0-litre 350PS (345bhp) V6 petrol.
This is important for a number of reasons. When it launched the Levante was only available as a diesel, this being the dominant choice at the time. The performance-oriented 430PS (424bhp) V6 S joined the range later and will be followed soon by the Ferrari V8-powered Trofeo and GTS while this new petrol V6 option sits more or less alongside the diesel at the entry to the line-up. Like all of Maserati’s petrol engines it’s built by Ferrari in Maranello.
Maserati needs to keep pace and this 2019 model year update does the usual stuff of restyled bumpers front and back and revisions to the GranLusso and GranSport trim levels, the latter upgradeable to sinister looking Nerissimo trim if you so desire. New features include expanded semi-autonomous safety aids, though experience of them in action suggests some act like the electronic equivalent of a hysterical Italian mother-in-law screaming at you from the passenger seat. Meanwhile the interior looks suitably flamboyant but appears old-fashioned compared with the Range Rover Velar and lags behind Mercedes, Audi, BMW and Porsche in the perceived quality of fixtures and fittings. Maserati fights back with a genuine sense of Italian style and the tactile delights of its Pieno Fiore leather and silk inlays.
Since we last drove the Levante the feelsome hydraulic steering we liked so much has been replaced by an electrically-assisted set-up for improved efficiency. Credit due, it’s actually nicely weighted and has decent responses for such a system and doesn’t detract from the sporty traditions the Levante embodies.
350PS sounds relatively modest in a car this big but the twin-turbo V6 growls purposefully (all the more so with the Sport button pressed) and the Levante never feels weighed down or sluggish. The GranSport gets appropriately driver-focused additions like shifter paddles for the eight-speed automatic gearbox, 20-inch wheels, black exterior trim and a look inspired by the V8 Trofeo and GTS models.
But the more luxurious GranLusso actually feels a little more in tune with Maserati’s gran turismo image. The 19-inch wheels look a little undernourished but successfully take the edge off the harsher setting for the air suspension for a better balance of comfort and composure. Driven with gusto the GranSport attempts to hide its bulk but ends up feeling both brittle and wallowy – the GranLusso encourages a slightly more relaxed pace where the Levante feels much more comfortable in its own skin.
Not every luxury manufacturer has managed to translate its brand values and traditions to the SUV realm as successfully as Maserati has with the Levante and this updated model combines exotic looks, Italian style and a sense of exclusivity among the more ubiquitous offerings from Range Rover and the German brands. Starting at £61,425 (£69,425 for the GranSport and GranLusso) this new V6 is probably more affordable than you might expect for such a prestigious badge too and just £3,110 more than the equivalent diesel version. Given sporting SUVs are statement cars the one the Levante makes therefore carries rather more clout than most of its rivals, that it can back this up with a suitably engaging driving style and is less dependent on diesel power just adding to the appeal.
Maserati
Levante
