Maserati’s Levante crossover has been revealed ahead of its official Geneva Motor Show debut next month.
Aesthetically, the Levant, which shares much of its underpinnings with the company’s Ghibli executive saloon, is something of an acquired taste.
Signature Maerati design cues such as the billowing nose with a sizeable chrome grille flanked by slender headlamps, a raked-back A-pillar, porthole vents on the front wings, frameless windows, the “Saetta” badge on the C-pillar and a sporty bowed roofline are all present. But the rear is rather pedestrian by comparison.
Although official technical specifications will only be announced at Geneva, it’s believed that the Maserati Levante will be powered by the firm’s Modena-built 3,0-litre biturbo V6 in two states of tune; 260 kW in standard guise and a performance version boasting 320 kW. Coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, these units will propel the entry-level model from standstill to 100 km/h in 6,3 seconds, while the performance model makes the sprint in 5,3 seconds on the way to a 264 km/h top speed.
A 3,0-litre V6 turbodiesel developing 205 kW will also be offered. This unit will propel the Maserati Levante from 0-100 km/h in 6,9 seconds before topping out at 230 km/h.
According to Maserati, the Levante’s chassis has been tailored to meet a fine performance/off-road balance and is complemented by an intelligent all-wheel drive system and air suspension with electronically controlled dampers.
More details will be revealed at Geneva next month.