Maserati launches its 1st SUV Levante in India at a whopping Rs 1.4 crore

Italian luxury carmaker Maserati has announced the launch of Levante, the first SUV of the brand in India. The premium SUV has been launched in two trims -- GranLusso and the GranSport — and is priced starting at Rs 1.4 crore (ex-showroom pan India).

The new Maserati SUV is based on the Quattroporte and Ghibli architecture. The India-specific model comes with a 3-litre V6 turbo diesel unit that develops 271bhp at 4,000rpm and 600Nm of torque at 2,000-2,600rpm, mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox combined with the Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive system. The diesel model sprints from 0 to 100 kmph in 6.9 seconds, and has a top speed of 230 kmph.

In the global market, the premium SUV is also offered with a 3-litre V6 twin turbo petrol engine available in two states of tune -- 344bhp and 423bh. The petrol engine is expected to join the range later in India.

Maserati Levante gets the name inspired by a wind. The Levante is a Mediterranean wind. The SUV has four driving modes viz Auto Normal, Auto Sport, Auto Manual and Auto Off-Road mode. The highlights of the Levante are signature triple air vents on the front wings, the trapezoidal C-pillar with the "Saetta" logo and the large and frameless door windows. The SUV features a coupe-kind rakish windscreen in the rear, which also sports quad exhaust pipes.

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The SUV is equipped with leather seats, aluminium trim and chrome accents in the interior, which also boasts of an 8.4-inch display on the dash, an analogue clock, a dual-zone climate control system, and an eight-speaker audio system. The Levante gets safety technology designed to help prevent collisions, including Adaptive Cruise Control, Blind Spot Alert, Rear Cross Path detection, and Lane Departure and Forward Collision warning systems.

Although Levante's sale has been officially announced now, a diehard motor buff in Bengaluru had imported a dark Blu Passione Mica shaded Maserati Levante SUV -- the first in the country -- in May 2017.