Levante spells sumptuous SUV
THE sports utility vehicle (SUV) is taking over and its taking no prisoners.
The genre has not been lost on the upper end of the market either. Bentley, Porsche, RollsRoyce, Lamborghini and others are either in the segment or have plans to join the fray. It is an SUV world out there.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles has technically been in the market for decades, courtesy of the Jeep brand, which it now owns.
Later this year, it will add the Alfa Romeo Stelvio to its SUV arsenal. It also owns Maserati – the famous trident-wearing brand from Modena – which offers all its traditional luxury and sporty credentials in a SUV with a commanding driving position and a dose of offroad ability.
Originally unveiled as the concept Maserati Kubang, the company ditched the awkward name and launched its contender wearing the Levante badge.
The Levante is going to stand out more for its rarity than for its unique looks.
In many respects, the designers have followed the rule books. It is a great-looking vehicle with a number of hallmark Maserati design cues, including the grille and those air vents in the flanks behind the front wheel arches. Even some of the chrome detailing stands out as pure Maser.
The inside is all about that handcrafted tradition, which, together with the precision engineering, aims to justify the price tag of R1.65-million.
The sumptuous and sporty leather seats are a work of art on their own. Leather adorns the dashboard, door trims and steering wheel and there is no way you will not feel as if you are ensconced in pure luxury.
The team in Modena have gone to great lengths to make sure this is a real Maserati. Under the bonnet sits a threelitre turbodiesel that is unique to the brand.
It pushes out 202kW at 4 000r/min and 600Nm between 2 000 and 2 600r/min. This is pushed through a familiar eight-speed ZF automatic transmission to all four wheels and translates into a claimed 0-100km/h time of 6.9 seconds and a top speed of 230km/h.
The Levante showed superb road manners, although our short drive did not give us much of a chance to truly test how dynamic its soul is.
Like anything at this end of the market, you are going to want to add options – and there are lots of them.
You can opt for packages such as the Premium Pack (R41 835) or the Driver Assistance Pack (R50 200).
Go more upmarket and there is the Luxury Pack at R140 560 or the Luxury Zegna Pack at R180 720.