And a Little Refinement Does It!

What we like:

Sporty styling with imposing presence

Handling is even more nimble than the diesel

engine and exhaust note are just wonderful

Cargo room makes it practical

What we dislike:

Infotainment unit could be better

Slightly lazy when “Sports” mode is turned off

Interior bits could be better in quality

Overall, ride quality, and comfort from the seats is very good. Rear passengers do get decent enough legroom, and benefit from a 12V socket and two USB ports sited just above the air-conditioning vents. Little hints of being in something special, like the Trident insignia oh the head cushions adds to another touch point for the brand, in this case, a very literal one.

The 8.4” Maserati Touch Control Plus (PTC Plus) infotainment may not be the best in terms of navigation, and might come across to first-time users as confusing, but it is comprehensive with controls for setting up the car, climate control and SatNav, and supports drag, scroll and swiping. The dual-stacked rotary selector on the centre console also helps with navigating the unit, slightly similar to BMW’s iDrive system… but with two rotary wheels… ok quite different.

Performance aside, the Levante is a practical car too. The boot offers 580 litres of cargo room, with rear seats folding flat 40:60 style. Additional securing with lashes for a cargo net and elastic bands flanking each side of the boot all add up.

The Levante presents an imposing presence in the rear-view mirrors to most who are caught in-front of the SUV with its large snarling grille, and it is truly an imposing car. The lane keep assist helps to keep the Levante in its place, especially when negotiating some of our older roads of British origin.

Knocking off “Sports” mode on the car turns the Levante into just about an ordinary SUV; with a soft and comfortable ride, things which are no-so Maserati, and perhaps a little too sluggish for our liking.

While it is not perfect and no car can be, the Levante is well-equipped. The very important adaptive suspension with adjustable ride height we must stress is the most important item in its list of goodies. In keeping passengers safe, the radar unit, with its sensor hidden behind the Trident in the front grille, which the adaptive cruise control depends on also aids in collision avoidance. Good things to have when a car this large has to check many boxes. But at the end of the day, petrol engine is more refined, where the diesel may have come across still a little rougher around the edges.

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