THE high-end luxury sport-utility vehicle (SUV) segment is occupied by only a handful of players, mostly German marques, such as Mercedes-Benz, Audi, BMW, Porsche and Range Rover from Britain.
With the remarkable growth in the demand and sales of SUVs worldwide, it was only a matter of time before other carmakers joined the fray. Recently, two luxury carmakers had thrown their hat in the ring by introducing their own idea of how a luxury SUV should look like, Bentley with its Bentayga SUV and Italian sports-car manufacturer Maserati with the Levante.
The Levante was officially unveiled on September 13 at the exclusive Palace Pool club inside the Bonifacio Global City.
In his opening remarks, Wellington Soong, chairman and president of Maserati Philippines, the official distributor of the brand in the country said, “It is a privilege that you’re all with me on this evening because after this, it won’t be the same. It is history in the making and this is the Maserati SUV.”
He added, “And more than anything else, what makes it unique is that we not only provide a need, but also the want—all in one car.”
Indeed, as the head of one of the largest distributors of ultraluxurious sports vehicles in the country that include Jaguar, Range Rover and Aston Martin in its portfolio, Soong has every reason to be excited because, aside from introducing its first-ever SUV, Maserati has completed its product lineup for the first time in the company’s more than a century of existence.
The Levante is every bit of a Maserati. It carries the trademark grille of its siblings, the Ghibli and Quattroporte. It prominently displays Maserati’s logo, which is inspired by the famous Neptune statue in Bologna, Italy, on the grille.
The finely sculpted hood, as well as the artfully designed headlamps and fog lamps complete the sporty but elegant front end.
The coupe-like styling is evident from the sides and continues all the way to the rear. The aerodynamic profile of the SUV, which resembles that of a sports sedan than an SUV, has resulted in its best-in-segment drag coefficient rating of 0.31.
Inside, the finest hand-stitched Italian leather covers the seats, doors and the dashboard; the genuine wood panels that are in the dash and the middle heighten the luxurious ambience of the cabin. The 8.4-inch touch-screen entertainment system is one of the biggest in its class. It also has a built-in digital radio, is compatible with most smartphones, and has mirroring functions plus Siri-personal assistant for iPhones.
Buyers, by the way, may choose from either a premium Harman Kardon system or Bower and Wilkins surround system.
Other features are the huge luggage compartment that boasts of 580 liters of space, and four 12-volt sockets. The accompanying press release also states that the interior can be customized according to the buyer’s personal preference.
Of course, the Levante will not be a Maserati if it’s not endowed with a powerful engine. In this regard, there are three engines to choose from: two petrol variants and one diesel.
The two petrol V6 engines with the latest GDI and twin turbo pump out 430 hp and 350 hp, respectively. Maserati claims the former only needs 5.2 seconds to reach 100 kilometer per hour all the way to a top speed of 264 km/h. The latter does it at six seconds all the way to a more sedate top-speed of 251 km/h.
The 3.0 V6 common-rail direct injection with turbo diesel, on the other hand, produces 275 hp and can reach 100 km/h at 6.9 seconds all the way to its claimed top-speed of 230 km/h. It is said that it only consumes 7.2 liters of fuel per 100 km.
Pair any of the engines with the standard air suspension and Q4 all-wheel drive system that can be programmed for sports or luxury and the result is an SUV with smooth handling and solid off-road capabilities.
The Levante, which is named after the warm Mediterranean wind that can change from mild to a gale force in an instant, is 100-percent made in Italy. For those who are interested on the latest Maserati models in the country you may visit their showroom at Autostrada 32nd corner 4th Avenue, Bonifacio Global City.
Image credits: auto.evolution.com, Patrick P. Tulfo