Kentish Express Ashford & District
Sleek and sporty
James Fossdyke climbs behind the wheel of the Maserati Levante
Despite having been presenting 4×4 concepts since the early 2000s, Maserati has taken its time in coming to the ever-growing SUV market. The Levante, though, has finally arrived in the UK, ready to wade into battle with the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne. Maserati freely admits the Levante is no match for the Range Rover on the rough stuff, but instead pitches this as a sportier alternative that’s still more than capable when the going gets muddy. It seems the Levante is a divisive thing to look at. Some love its combination of sleek lines, taut haunches and aggressive grille, but others seem less than impressed. Either way, it’s a striking thing, but we’re very much in the love camp. We’re particular fans of the long bonnet, the rakish rear window and the narrowed lights, which give it a purposeful, forward-set stance. Inside, the cabin feels as you’d expect from a £54,000 SUV. At a touch over five metres in length, the Maserati is six inches longer than a Range Rover Sport and just as wide. It is, however, around 10cm shorter than the Range Rover in terms of height, but this doesn’t cause any problems in terms of practicality. There’s bags of headroom and legroom is decent too. The Levante has been designed with handling firmly in mind, so it gets a 50/50 weight distribution. The steering is beautifully weighted and precise, body roll is well contained, and the 3.0-litre V6 diesel engine serves up a pleasant shove in the back when you put your foot down. As standard, the Levante comes with a plentiful kit list, including full leather upholstery, satellite navigation and air suspension. You can add more gizmos with a range of packs, chief among which is the Luxury Pack, which provides a powered steering column, a 360-degree parking camera and heated front seats. Alternatively, you can go for the Sport Pack, which provides aluminium gear shift paddles, larger 20-inch alloys and sportier seats. Prices start from £54,335, which is about £9,000 cheaper than the 3.0-litre V6 diesel-engined Range Rover Sport.