Rising Trident

What we like:

Certainly an enjoyable drive

sports exhaust sound great. Especially when going through a tunnel. Premium looks suits the brand

What we dislike:

Dash plastic quality could be better. Some parts seem to come from the Chrysler parts bin

It is a diesel, there will be that un-suppressible diesel engine chatter when you are outside the car, especially when standing in-front. But hop into the Levante, and you would be impressed with the amount of attention paid to its insulation, including double-laminated glass. Hit the sports exhaust button, and the exhaust note changes drastically to a heavy rumble. At idle, it does sound a little funny with the exhaust flaps open, with the heavy exhaust note coming into the cabin. But drop the Levante into “Drive” and that noise from the rear turns into the rewarding growl, as the Maserati of SUVs works through the gears.

On paper, the 3.0 variable geometry turbocharged engine might have its maximum torque of 600Nm from between 2,000-2,600rpm, but behind the wheel, even past 3,000rpm, the engine has so much to give, as it swops cogs through its 8-speed automatic transmission. Popping the car into gear can get tricky, as the shifter does come across as quite sensitive, for something that drives a little more brutish, sliding the shift lever to change, could come across better if you could just grab (in manly fashion), pull/push and have it engage the gear you want, instead of skipping to the next selection.

The Levante looks large, and it does feel large especially when you thunder down those old narrow colonial-era roads. However, the car is never clumsy, and is in-fact precise with steering feel from a now less common hydraulic power steering setup, delivering very good feedback.

While not as sharp as a coupe or sports sedan, and there is a bit of suspension travel, the rear-biased four-wheel drive system does keep the car’s composure, even around the corners, this especially given its 2,205kg kerb weight, and higher centre of gravity.

The concept of a sports car brand using a diesel for their SUV, might not sit so well with some, but drive the Levante, and you will find that the way that the 600Nm from that V6 delivers the goods, for a car which must fulfil some mud plugging, being able to tow, and still do all the fast car things expected from the brand, it is quite the ideal pairing.

Maserati is about a century old now, and the Levante brings a new body style to a company known for grand tourer type coupes and sports sedans. Much like what Porsche had done a while back with its Cayenne SUV. Perhaps some might say that this dilutes the brand in a traditional sense, but with a global market shifting to adaptation of SUVs over the last 20 years, the Levante’s entry into the market is only natural, and crucial to the brand.

And while you could say, that it is just one more of those luxury go-faster SUVs, it does offer you something with Italian flair in a market dominated by German brands.

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