UNLEASH THE ITALIAN STALLION

Maserati's new SUV is put through its paces

H ow does this make sense? Here I am, forging up a mud-rutted hillside above Loch Lomond, in a car that is the epitome of luxury, with its engine bellowing like a rutting bull, and the symbol on the car’s nose is the famous trident of Maserati. Something here doesn’t quite add up.

Maserati is one of the noblest names in European motoring culture. It stands for high performance, luxury and exclusivity. The three original Maserati brothers started making racing cars in Italy around the time of the First World War. Throughout the middle of the last century, Maseratis were vying with Alfa Romeo, Ferrari, Mercedes and Porsche in the world’s top Grands Prix and most glamorous sports car races. Maseratis are famously highstrung. You could almost call them effete.

So what is going on here at this launch event in Scotland where I am gingerly forging raging burns to make sure that the stainless steel twin exhaust tailpipes stay clear of the water and inching from boulder to boulder on alloy wheels with 20’ rims?

The answer is that I am at the wheel of the new Levante, Maserati’s first attempt to build a 4x4 SUV. Those are the words that give you pause. An SUV by Maserati? This seems as improbable a proposition as Wellington boots by Christian Dior.

Maserati executives acknowledge the contradiction. ‘Our problem has been how to combine the Maserati brand heritage with the requirements and the character of an off-roader,’ one said. Their solution has been to make the Levante one of the fastest and most luxurious SUVs in existence. With acceleration from 0-60 mph in five seconds and top speed of 165 mph, the Levante S Gran Sport I drove at the launch event puts on a performance not far short of a supercar. The real turn-on of this car comes, however, not from its blazing speed on the road but from the full-throated roar it emits on the way. It sounds like a – well, like a Ferrari. There’s a good reason for that.

The three-litre 430 bhp, twin-turbo V6 engine in my Levante S Gran Sport was made by guess who? Maserati and Ferrari both belong to the Fiat Chrysler group and their factories work sideby-side in Modena so there is an obvious logic – even though it defies reason – in putting a Ferrari engine in a Maserati SUV.

By the same token, you can understand why Maserati have chosen to use the modular chassis shared by their luxurious Quattroporte model and their ferocious Ghibli GT as the

foundation for the Levante. The suspension architecture on that chassis is as sophisticated and refined as anything in the business. For this reason, the Levante will not only approach a corner faster than most cars on the road but, unlike almost every other SUV on the market, it will come out the other side firmly holding the same clean line. Maserati engineers have invented their own bespoke all-wheel drive system but the eight-speed semi-automatic gearbox on the Levante is shared with their other models.

Inside, the Levante is as far from rustic primitivity as a catwalk in Milan. Sumptuousness abounds. The glittering white body of my test car was uncompromisingly contrasted with scarlet leather upholstery and shimmering high-gloss carbon trims. The Maserati trident logo is discreetly stitched into the headrests, presumably in case you should forget where you are for a moment and imagine you’re in a Suzuki Jimny.

I wasn’t allowed to take the £91,839 Levante S Gran Sport off-road to try it out. Instead I was offered the 275 bhp diesel Gran Lusso model, which starts at £56,250, to make an ascent of the muddy Loch Lomond hill, which it managed reasonably competently, if warily.

At the same time, it was impossible not to remember Dr Johnson’s interesting observations on a dog walking on its hind legs. It may not be done very well; ‘but you are surprised to find it done at all’.

‘An SUV by Maserati seems as improbable as Wellington boots by Christian Dior’