Maserati Levante S GranLusso Review
And a Little Refinement Does It!

A year ago, we got behind the wheel of Maserati’s first SUV, the Levante. Our 3.0 turbocharged diesel test car brought about earth-turning 600Nm, which made easy work of sending our backs into its seatbacks.

This car’s petrol V6 on the other hand, is a little more refined, albeit with a little less twist but with more go. The petrol’s 3.0 V6 turbo makes all the right noises, even at idle. With 424bhp on tap, the Levante S propels to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds, 1.7 seconds quicker than its diesel sibling.

And unlike the diesel, with the exhaust flaps open at the lights, and with its diesel clatter in the front, which bordered sporty to annoying, especially for rear passengers, this petrol variant delivers a cleaner engine and exhaust note.

Walk the Levante through the gears, and you will find that Maserati engineers have done well with coaxing the best sounds from the exhaust. Squeeze the throttle down and past 3,000rpms, and the car encourages you with all the right notes which filter into the cabin.

With the introduction of the lane keep assist feature, the Levante swops the hydraulic power steering for an electric unit, which is still pretty good. Perhaps a hit or a miss are the fixed gearshift paddles behind the wheel, some may like that they stay in one place, while others may find those fixed to the back of the steering wheel easier to use, I tend to prefer the latter.

Coupled with its height-adjustable adaptive suspension, and with a lighter petrol engine up in-front, the Levante S is a more nimble car, and unlike the diesel which will want to plough straight for a split-second when coaxed into a tight bend, is able to respond better to directional changes.

Parking is aided with its bird’s eye view cameras stitching the surroundings together as you work on your manoeuvre. And as the Levante is rather wide at 1,968mm across, this is surely a must-have, especially when attempting the delicate art of squeezing between vehicles to get into a filter lane.