Maserati, the Italian carmaker, has just begun taking bookings for its first SUV, the Levante. Though prices have not been revealed yet, they should be out when the car is launched in December 2016.
The Levante was showcased at the Geneva Motor Show, and competes with the likes of other premium offerings like the Bentley Bentayga, Porsche Cayenne and the upcoming Lamborghini Urus. There are two powertrains for the Levante currently, a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol that makes 350bhp and 500Nm, and a 430bhp petrol engine capable of 580Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission with an all-wheel drive system does duties on both applications, and helps the 0-100kmph run being displaced in 6sec and 5.2sec respectively.
Maserati’s Levante boasts a 50:50 weight distribution, and uses a chassis that combines both the benefits of steel and aluminium. It is equipped with an active air suspension that has five ride heights and six separate usage modes. Some of the safety features that find their way into the Levante are adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, blind spot alert, surround view camera, forward collision warning, and park assist.
Maserati India is also expected to launch the Levante for our market in 2017.
