It was the American composer Lin-Manuel Miranda who once tweeted: “You stare at your coffee, hoping it gives you perspective and sanity, and the ability to make sense of it all, and that’s a lot to ask of your coffee.”
As I pay for my takeaway cup of filter coffee, I gaze at the parked Levante S across the street. Perhaps we’re asking a lot from Maserati’s first SUV. Can it truly be the spacious, 5-seater family off-roader with a sporty disposition we’ve come to expect?
Exterior
It certainly has kerb appeal. Its front features the trademark Maserati grill that gapes like a basking shark, flanked by slim bi-xenon headlights. The iconic trio of vents is found on the front wheel-guard and the car has powerful rear haunches. It’s modern and sleek, and fits in perfectly with other high-end SUVs.
From the long, sweeping bonnet to the pert rear, the entire car has a unique wedge shape, with the Italians claiming it has the best aerodynamics in its class. The Levante can be described as ‘exotic’ without being ostentatious.
Pillarless doors are a rarity in the SUV market, adding to the car’s appeal, though you’ll have to train yourself not to touch the glass and leave oily fingerprints everywhere.
The Levante is available in GranLusso and GranSport trim with the former recognisable by metallic-look front skid plates and roof rails, GranLusso badges on the front wings, black-painted brake callipers and 20-inch Nereo wheels.
More sport-biased, the GranSport models have a gloss black front grille, skid plates and roof rails, GranSport badges, red-painted brake callipers and 21-inch Anteo alloys.
Interior
The Levante’s interior boasts gorgeous craftsmanship and sumptuous leather throughout: exactly what you’d expect from the Italians.
In GranLusso trim, you have the choice of an Ermenegildo Zegna silk and leather combination interior or, if you’re more sensible, fine grain Italian leather upholstery. The GranSport features sportier fittings inside, including sport seats, a sport steering wheel with gearshift paddles and carbon fibre cabin trim.
Both trim levels have 12-way electrically adjustable ‘comfort’ seats, though, after driving the Levante for a day, even its standard lumbar support couldn’t soothe my aching lower back. They’re lovely to sit in and touch, but longer journeys will see you having to get out and stretch.
Maserati didn’t skimp on interior features, however. The Levante is a veritable tech fest with a lovely 8.4-inch touchscreen with navigation and smartphone connectivity, automatic climate control, a Harmon Kardon premium sound system (blasting Vivaldi never sounded this good) and a panoramic sunroof. They’ve also included all-round parking sensors and a 360-degree camera system that make squeezing the giant into a parking bay so much easier.
Rear passenger space is average for the class, with knee- and headroom being forsaken for aesthetics – and the intruding sunroof. The boot is on the smaller size compared to rivals, and thankfully features an electric tailgate as it raises quite high up and out of reach.
Performance
This is arguably the Levante’s best feature, the Ferrari-built 3.0-litre twin-turbo direct injection engine, with 316 kW and 580 Nm of earth-moving thrust. I had to shut Vivaldi up at one point as the aural experience from the glorious V6 was unparalleled.
The pure power and all-round flexibility of the bespoke engine make for a grin-inducing experience. It emphasises its sporty credentials in a way that’s as certain as a slap in the face. The petrol-powered S feels like a much more balanced car than its diesel counterpart. According to Maserati, the S can blast from 0-100 kph in 5.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 264 kph.
Its smooth 8-speed ZF auto gearbox has been upgraded too, providing even quicker shifting that was evident from the near seamless acceleration up a mountain pass. Driving this uber-SUV, I never felt out of depth thanks to its power distribution via the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system.
The exhaust system, the source of the Levante’s aural signature, is controlled by pneumatic valves that can alter the noise levels depending on which of the three drive modes you’ve selected – Normal, Sport, and Sport Plus. Needless to say, it becomes more verbal with each ascending mode.
Also worth noting is the standard active air suspension, which provides six different height levels, the highest for off-roading and lowest for when you’re feeling naughty. The Levante’s ride comfort is exemplary in any of these levels, despite it riding on 21-inch wheels.
For the 2018 model year, the Levante range has switched to a new electric power steering system, replacing the old hydraulic setup. The manufacturer says this system better supports the different driving modes and supports a number of new driver assistance functions. The steering feels a bit numb on the highway, but becomes beautifully weighted when you start throwing it around corners.
Verdict
The Maranello-powered turbo-petrol S derivative definitely adds to the Levante’s charm. If you want agility, exclusivity, and Italian heritage in an SUV, this Maserati ticks all the boxes. It even affords you the luxury of bringing the family along with you.
However, the exclusivity of owning this all-round performer comes at a price – the S derivative starts from R1 950 000 and with some enticing optional extras, it could cost you close to R2.3 million.
Nevertheless, asking the Levante S to be everything for everyone is unrealistic, yet it comes surprisingly close. Who knew Maserati’s best car would be an SUV?
Walter Hayward-Botha 