2016 Maserati Levante

Shortly after Maserati unveiled the Kubang concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, rumors began circulating that a production version would soon be offered, and it didn’t take long for Maserati to confirm its first-ever SUV, the Levante. The crossover takes its name from “a warm, Mediterranean wind,” as well as the Via Emilia Levante in Bologna, where about a century ago, the Maserati brothers dreamed up the company that still bears their name today.

With a worldwide debut at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show, the Levante gives Maserati access to the flourishing crossover/SUV market, and consequently, a much wider audience, hopefully improving sales figures and profits. Maserati wants the Levante to boost sales to 50,000 cars a year globally, which should give the Italians the funds necessary to keep building cool sports cars and luxurious sedans.

While the Levante certainly rounds out the automaker’s product portfolio, it’s also quite polarizing, with many fans questioning whether or not Maserati has strayed too far from its roots. Which begs the question – is the Levante worthy of a Trident badge?

Updated 03/31/2016: Maserati dropped a series of new video for its new Levante SUV. Hit "play" to watch them!Shortly after issuing a shadowy teaser image of the Levante’s front end, Maserati released four official images ahead of an official debut in Geneva. Overall, our initial rendering was pretty close. As expected, the Levante pulls styling cues from the Ghibli (which provides the SUV’s platform), as well as the original 2011 Kubang concept. Of course, the design patents that hit the Interwebz earlier in 2015 didn’t hurt our predictions, either.

All in all, the Levante is a muscular crossover that makes the BMW X6 look downright ugly by comparison.

All in all, the Levante is a muscular crossover that makes the BMW X6 look downright ugly by comparison.

Designed in Turin, you’ll find a swath of traditional Maserati styling elements. Up front is the Trident’s trademark face, including a grille inspired by the Alfieri concept, and a pair of air intakes in the lower fascia connected by a slim cutout just below the grille. The “feline-shaped” Bi-Xenon headlights come with optional LEDs for the daytime running lights, and LEDs are also available for the turn signals and twin fog lights. The fog lights sit below the headlights, and are neatly cut and shaped, leading the eye toward the front fenders. Creases in the hood give it an aggressive look.

In profile, the first thing you’ll notice is the trio of side air vents just above and behind the front wheel wells. There’s a trapezoidal C-pillar, and the roofline is gently sloped for a more coupe-like appearance. There are frameless doors, and a variety of choices for wheel designs. Standard equipment includes 18-inchers, while 19-inchers are standard for the range-topping model. All are made from a lightweight alloy, and additional 19-inch, 20-inch, and 21-inch designs are available.

The rear fenders bulge out, increasing the visual weight of the rear end. We were a little off the mark when it came to the tail, but not by much. The LED taillights wrap into the flanks, and a trailing roof spoiler juts out from the rear window. The lines are all quite rounded, and quad exhaust tips bookend an underbody skid plate.

Tested in a wind tunnel in Turin, the Levante’s slippery shape is aided by an active Air Shutter

Needless to say, Maserati certainly did a good job developing the Levante’s exterior, especially when you look back at the original spy shots. Not only does it look good, the automaker also claims best-in-class aerodynamic efficiency with a drag coefficient of 0.31. Tested in a wind tunnel in Turin, the Levante’s slippery shape is aided by an active Air Shutter in the front grille – a first for Maserati.

When it comes to colors, options abound. The roof rails and skid plates are offered in either silver and gloss black, while the body panels get 13 different hues. These include two solid colors (Nero and Bianco), three metallic colors (Grigio Metallo, Grigio, and the new Verde Ossido), two “metallescent” colors (Grigio Maratea and Champagne), five mica colors (Nero Ribelle, Blu Passione, Blu Emozione, and the new Rosso Rubino and Rame), and one pearlescent color (Bianco Alpi).
Exterior Dimensions
Length    5,003 MM (196.96 Inches)
Width    1,968 MM (77.48 Inches)
Height    1,679 MM (66.10 Inches)
Wheelbase    3,004 MM (118.26 Inches)
Front Track    1,624 MM (63.93 Inches)
Rear Track    1,676 MM (65.98 Inches)
Interior
Maserati Levante

Maserati took cues from its sedan lineup when crafting the Levante’s cabin, and the similarities are obvious. The layout and look are practically identical, excluding the enlarged dimensions, of course.

Controls include buttons for the various drive modes, a new rotary knob, and a switch for the air suspension. An analog clock is mounted high on the dash, with wood, carbon fiber, and aluminum making the list of trim materials. The roof is lined in Alcantara, as are the upper pillars, ceiling light surround, and front sun visors.

As you might expect, leather upholstery is standard

As you might expect, leather upholstery is standard, with even higher-grade skin used on the top-range model. Go for for the Full Leather Package, and the door panels and dash get the material as well. Contrast stitching for the seats and headrests is available.

Front passengers enjoy solid lateral support bolsters in the seats. Drivers get electric six-way adjustability, while passengers get four-way manual adjustment, although electric six-way adjustability for the passenger is available. Electric memory functions are also optional.

Anyone looking to cruise is encouraged to look into the 12-way electrically adjustable Comfort Seat. Alternatively, Maserati also offers a 12-way electrically adjustable Sport Seat Seat for even more support when throwing it through the corners. Heating and ventilation are available up front, while heating is also available in the rear.

Running it all is an 8.4-inch touchscreen display.

Infotainment includes app support, HomeLink, and AHA functionality. Running it all is an 8.4-inch touchscreen display. Auxiliary, USB, and SD card inputs are standard, as is a 7-inch diver’s display mounted in the gauge cluster.

Making music is a standard Base 8-speaker stereo. Options include a 14-speaker unit from Harman Kardon, or a top-range Bowers & Wilkins Surround System with 17 speakers.

Dual-zone climate control is standard, including a sensor that monitors exterior air quality and a sensor for interior humidity levels. Four-zone climate control with rear control is available.

Practicality comes in the form of nearly 20.5 cu-ft of rear cargo room, enhanced by a 40/60 rear split bench. There’s a standard power tailgate, controllable via rear-mounted buttons, the key fob, or a button on the dome light. Maserati also offers several accessories for your lifestyle activity of choice (snowboarding, biking, surfing, etc.).

There are 28 total interior color combinations available at launch, including optional two-tone leather.
Drivetrain
Maserati Levante

There are three engine packages available for the Levante, all of which are 3.0-liter six-cylinders. This includes two twin-turbo gas units (created in Maranello by Ferrari), and a single turbo diesel (the diesel won’t come stateside). Let’s look at the fastest first.

Available on the Levante S model, the range-topper offers 430 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 428 pound-feet of torque at 4,500 rpm. A sprint from rest to 62 mph takes 5.2 seconds, while top speed is 164 mph. Fuel consumption is rated at 10.9 liters/100 km.

Next up is the non-S Levante, which is equipped with 350 horsepower at 5,750 rpm and 369 pound-feet of torque 4,500 rpm. A run to 62 mph takes 6.0 seconds, while top speed looks like 156 mph. Fuel consumption is 10.7 liters/100 km.

“Sport” mode drops the ride height, stiffens the suspension, sharpens the throttle, and opens up the exhaust bypass for better loud noises.

Finally, there’s the more economical Levante Diesel, which comes with 275 horsepower at 4,000 rpm and 443 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. Acceleration is 6.9 seconds to 62 mph, with a top speed of 143 mph, but fuel consumption drops considerably to 7.2 liters/100 km.

Each engine is mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox from ZF. There are multiple modes to fit just about any driving situation, each offering unique settings for the engine, transmission, suspension, and electronics.

First up is “Sport,” which drops the ride height, stiffens the suspension, sharpens the throttle, and opens up the exhaust bypass for better loud noises. Next is “Off-Road,” which raises ride height to an impressive 10.8 inches. Then there’s “I.C.E.,” which stands for Increased Control & Efficiency, and was designed for low-grip conditions, higher fuel economy, and comfortable cruising thanks to gentler gear changes, floaty suspension, softer throttle response, and no overboost.

One final note on the drivetrain – Maserati is offering an optional tow bar if you’ve got some hauling to do, and the Levante is capable of towing nearly 6,000 pounds.
Chassis And Handling
Maserati Levante

The Levante is based on the same platform as Maserati’s sedans, which should help back claims to best in-class on-road handling and best in-class handling on snow and ice, not to mention high levels of practicality and comfort. Of course, there’s also the off-road capability Maserati is talking about.

Curb weight is rated at 4,650 pounds for gas variants and 4,861 for the diesel. This weight is distributed in a perfect 50-50 ratio front to back, and materials like aluminum and magnesium are used to cut mass where possible.

Keeping the shiny side up is the standard electronically controlled air suspension

Keeping the shiny side up is the standard electronically controlled air suspension, which uses geometry pulled from the Ghibli. There are Air Springs and Skyhook shock absorbers, with a double wishbone in the front, and a five-link setup out back. The steering is hydraulic, and uses speed-sensitive power assistance.

Making grip is a mechanical limited-slip differential in back, plus the rear-biased Q4 AWD system. The Q4 system is electronically controlled and uses a multi-plate wet clutch. Sensors monitoring data like wheel speed, steering and yaw angle, engine output, road speed, braking, and driving style feed the system for variable torque splits that can change in as little as 150 milliseconds.

The Levante S gets large, six-piston calipers from Brembo, plus 15-inch drilled discs. In back are 13-inch discs. The non-S Levante and Levante Diesel both get two-piston calipers and 13.6-inch rotors up front, as well as 13-inch discs in back.

Tire sizes vary between the models, with the S getting 265/50 ZR19 rubber in front and wider 295/45 ZR19 tires in back. The other two models have 255/60 ZR18 tires all around. All wheel sizes also come with the option for all-season tires if desired, excluding the large-and-in-charge 21-inchers.
Drivetrain Specifications
    Levante 350 hp    Levante S 430 hp    Levante Diesel 275 hp
Engine Layout    Petrol 600 V6, twin-turbo - direct injection (GDI)    Petrol 600 V6, twin-turbo - direct injection (GDI)    Turbodiesel 600 V6 common rail
Displacement (cc)    2,979    2,979    2,987
Max. Power    350 HP @ 5,750 RPM    430 HP @ 5,750 RPM    275 HP @ 4,000 RPM
Max. Torque    368 LB-FT @ 4,500-5,000 RPM    427 LB-FT @ 4,500-5,000 RPM    442 LB-FT @ 2,000-2,600 RPM
0-100 km/h (sec)    6.0    5.2    6.9
Top speed (km/h)    251 (156 mph)    264 (164 mph)    230 (143 mph)
Gearbox    8-speed automatic ZF AT8 - HP70    8-speed automatic ZF AT8 - HP70    8-speed automatic ZF AT8 - HP70
Safety And Convenience
Maserati Levante

High-tech features include adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, forward collision warning, adaptive high beam headlights, brake pressure assist, lane departure warning, a surround view camera, hill descent assist, automatic windshield wipers, a blind-spot monitor, and parking assist. On the more low-tech front, the Levante is also equipped with six airbags.