2017 Maserati Levante.
In the BBC Headquarters, Portland Place, London, is a hidden vault housing their vast document archive. In said vault exists such relics as the famous list of 7 deadly words. Words considered so offensive at the time that they could never be uttered on air. Rumor has it that the famed Top Gear series generated quite a lot of documentation, now also housed in the archive. Included in that volume, is a list of people that should NEVER be allowed to road-test an SUV. Top of that list – My name.
My wife drives and SUV and she loves it. I’ve never understood the appeal. I would much rather have a station wagon, with a big engine. It’s still practical, but dynamically it’s just going to be a better driving experience. But then, I am quite a unique creature.
To some extent they succeeded with the Levante
So, having established that I am absolutely the worst person for this job, let us have a look at the Maserati Levante. I have driven SUVs built by sportscar manufacturers before. Most notably the Porsche Cayenne, which I suppose would be the Levante’s main competition. The difference here is that Porsche tried to build an SUV that drives like a sportscar. To some extent they succeeded, and what the Cayenne is capable of is truly impressive. The Porsche is dynamically excellent, but in order to make 2 tonnes of housing estate go around corners requires some doing. The Porsche is quite firm to say the least.
Maserati decided in stead to make an SUV that tries to look like a sportscar, but still drives like an SUV. Again – to a certain extent I think they have pulled it off. It certainly looks infinitely better than the Porsche. Maserati were far more successful in putting the family face onto a much bigger car. It still carries elements of the Gran Turismo’s nose and grille, but changed just enough to suit the SUV body style. From the front it has a very aggressive and purposeful look.
In side profile the Levante is fairly typical for this type of car. That is to say, from the side, most SUV’s look pretty similar. Especially in this particular segment. Again, Maserati do add a few small touches to lift things a little, and add a little flair and style. The traditional three side vents on the front fender, chrome trim here and there and the Maserati Trident on the C-pillar all make it stand out as something a little more special. When you open the doors the Levante reveals another party-trick, frameless door windows. It does look lower than most SUVs though.
a huge surprise for a car like this
The Levante has a nice feature which lowers the suspension completely when the gear selector is put into Park. This makes getting in and out easy, without having to climb up or down. Once the engine is running and the gear lever is moved, the car quickly picks itself up by a few inches. In normal mode, the suspension is extremely comfortable. As you make your way down the road, bumps are ironed out to the point where you can hardly notice them. Grip levels are very good and steering feel is not bad either, which was a huge surprise for a car like this. It doesn’t have GT3 levels of feedback, but the fact that you can feel anything is a major plus point in this segment.
In corners the Maserati will pitch and lean a lot more than the Cayenne, and in a mountain pass, the Cayenne will no doubt be the sharper tool. But for daily grind, which is where SUV’s do most of their work, the Maserati is going to be much more comfortable to live with.
ZF 8-speed is virtually infallible as always
This example is fitted with a 3.0l V6 Turbodiesel from VM Motori. The Italian Diesel engine manufacturer have managed to squeeze an impressive set of numbers from this oil burner. Most importantly, the engine is nice and quiet and very smooth. It adds to the Maserati’s brilliant levels of refinement. Power delivery is very responsive for a turbodiesel and the ZF 8-speed is virtually infallible as always. If I absolutely must criticize the drivetrain, I might say that the software on the ZF, perhaps holds onto lower gears for just a split second too long on occasion. The engine has so much torque it really can be in a higher gear, but this is really nit-picking stuff.
The interior is a very nice mix of colours, designs and textures. Most SUV interiors are a little depressing and boring, so this really is a fresh breath of air. Surprisingly for an Italian car, the infotainment and other controls are very intuitive to use. It’s not a car you are going to need to study 6 manuals and a 3-year degree to operate. Once you do start playing with all the toys, you will find they are plentiful! The touch screen is very easy to figure out and controls a whole bunch of features. It will even connect to your iPhone via Apple’s Car Play or you can use Android Auto if you are not a Steve Jobs fanboy.
a plethora of useful storage holes and cubbies
The seats are very comfortable and with the dark blue exterior, the light contrasting interior is exactly the specification I would have chosen. With the Huge Panoramic Sunroof, the cabin has a great airy feel to it. As every SUV should be, the Levante is equipped with a plethora of useful storage holes and cubbies, not to mention the obligatory cup holders. It even has a massive boot and plenty of rear passenger space, making it as practical as you could ever want your SUV to be. The sloping rear glass does rob a little bit of height from your boot space however, and it would have been nice to have 7 seats. For most daily duties, this won’t really, ever be a factor though.
Levante is a practical daily driver
So has the Levante converted me, would I buy an SUV? Well no. I still find SUV’s to be big, boring lumbering behemoths. However, what the Levante has done, is made the big, lumbering behemoth less boring. It does a superb job of being an SUV, a practical daily driver you can haul people and stuff around in. It’s fantastically comfortable and quiet too. However, because Maserati have done such a great job with the styling and made the interior such an inviting space to sit in, it doesn’t make you want to chew your arm off for excitement. It feels every bit as special as their sports cars, if not as dynamically inclined.
Would I buy one? Probably not – I’m still going to stick to the kinds of sportscars that rattle your fillings out and make your kidneys bleed. Like I said, I’m a pretty unique individual. However, would I buy one of these over a Porsche Cayenne? I think so.
This Maserati Levante was provided for testing by, and is available for sale at Gilmour Collection
