Less is more for Maserati SUV
New entry-level Maserati Levante has a winning mix of value and dynamic verve, says David Linklater.
You wait ages for a petrolpowered Maserati Levante, then two show up at once. An entry level twin-turbo V6 ‘‘350’’ model has now joined the flagship S (and those diesels of course) in the range.
Make me an instant expert: what do I need to know?
Maserati is famous for being very Italian. It’s also famous for having an intricate and rather confusing array of models that seem to be constantly multiplying.
So here we go. Hard on the heels of the first petrol-powered version of its Levante SUV, the 321kW/580Nm 3.0-litre V6 twin-turbo S, comes a second petrol version.
It’s rather informally called the ‘‘350’’ because that’s the number of horses under the bonnet.
If you’re joining us here in 2018 that’s 257kW/500Nm, which is quite a bit less than the S but also saves you $47,810.
In fact, the 350 is the new entry point to the Levante range; the cheapest diesel is nearly $10k more.
There must be a catch, right? There really isn’t. As expected, it’s slower than the S – but only by
0.8 seconds to 100kmh. The 350 is visually identical and the equipment levels across the model range are exactly the same.
Maserati justifies the massive price difference by saying that the twin-turbo engines in the 257kW and
321kW models are quite different... without being terribly specific.
The powertrain basics are the same: both still made by Ferrari and driving through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, including Maserati’s Q4 all-wheel drive system with mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD).
The Q4 system is rear-drive in normal conditions, but it can transfer up to 50 per cent of torque to the front in just 150 milliseconds. There’s also torque vectoring by braking at the rear.
It means business.
Where did you drive it?
Maserati’s media launch for the Levante 350 was a kind of hop-in, hop-out affair as the cars did a bit of a loop around New South Wales and
the Australian Capital Territory.
Our bit involved a start at Bathurst, including a very careful
50kmh lap of the iconic circuit (which is a public road when it’s not being a world-famous racetrack), then a backroads blast towards the ever-changing seat of Aussie power in Canberra.
In press-on conditions the 350 was
90 per cent as enjoyable as the vastly more expensive S. There’s barely any less torque in real-world driving (80Nm down, but the peak arrives at lower engine speed), but more importantly the exhaust note is every bit as stirring. Pneumatic valves open automatically in Sport mode to create proper Maserati music that has to be heard to be appreciated.
Arguably, the biggest downside to the 350 is that you’re not gaining a lot in terms of fuel economy. With a combined figure of 10.7 litres per
100km, it’s only 0.2l more frugal than the more powerful model. But you
can buy a lot of petrol for $47k.
Weather conditions were pretty mixed on our two-day drive and some very wet roads were another chance for the Levante’s clever chassis to shine. The air suspension and chassis electronics are a mighty combination: this is a 2.1-tonne SUV that goes very hard.
Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC), a kind of predictive stability control, has been added to the range for 2019, but it does little to interfere with the engaging nature of the handling.
What’s the pick of the range?
The Levante comes in three models: standard, GranSport and GranLusso (sports and luxury themed respectively). The extra bling and posher trim is nice to have, but stepping from the entry car to either of the other two raises the price by a horrendous $22,810.
Maybe Maserati people don’t care, but it’s really hard to see the value when the cheapest car is still so well equipped, with an identical powertrain and four-wheel drive system.
There’s method in these pricing machinations: the $162,800 GranSport and GranLusso sit neatly half-way between the price-leading 350 and the cheapest Levante S petrol. So there’s a clear walk up through the range. But it does still seem that when you’re finished walking, you empty out your wallet.
So the smart money’s on the $139,990 entry model. It’s a lot of Italian SUV for the price and the less pretentious trim is a better fit for the Levante’s cabin, which is of excellent quality but far from avant garde (and still relies on quite a lot of Jeep switchgear and infotainment OS).
Why would I buy it?
Because it’s absolutely the best Levante you can buy in terms of bang for your buck: musical engine, awesome chassis and an exotic badge on the grille. It’s also nearly $10k cheaper than the equivalent Porsche Cayenne.
Why wouldn’t I buy it?
Because if you want a Maserati, you want the best (meaning more powerful and expensive) one regardless of how little sense that makes; so you go for the petrol S regardless. It’s only $747 per extra kW after all.
Or because the Levante’s cabin design and layout doesn’t have the cohesive execution and techy ambience of its German rivals, despite some tweaks for the updated 2019 model; so you go for something SUV-shaped from Porsche, Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz.