Italian luxury car-maker Maserati unveiled March 1 the Levante, the first-ever SUV by the brand, at Geneva Motor Show. The company, which entered the Indian market last year, is not spending much time in bringing the SUV to India, with the launch slated to happen in early 2017.
As with many Maseratis from the past, the new car's name is inspired by a wind. The Levante is a Mediterranean wind. The SUV features an aggressive front fascia with a chrome grille flanked by swept-back headlights and round fog lights. 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.
The SUV is equipped with leather seats, aluminum 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 new Maserati SUV is based on the Quattroporte and Ghibli architecture. The India-specific model will be powered by 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. The 3-litre V6 twin turbo petrol engine available in two states of tune — 344bhp and 423bhp — is expected to join the range later in 2017.
