Maserati Finally Unveils the Levante

Maserati Levante (Credit: Maserati )

After plenty of teasing and anticipation, the first SUV to wear the Maserati trident has finally been officially revealed. The vehicle will make its first public appearance during the Geneva Motor Show, and will be a key product as the brand scrambles to make up for the income gap in FCA that Ferrari leaves behind.

Maserati Levante (Credit: Maserati )

While everyone loves to pick apart new vehicle designs and say how they “kinda look like a mix of a…” and then throw out a couple of competitor models that don’t really resemble the new vehicle, there’s no mistaking the Levante for anything but a Maserati. Aside from the large trident on the grille, the SUV also features triple porthole air vents in the front fenders, plus sweeping headlights that resemble the ones found on sibling cars.

That being said, there’s no doubt that Maserati’s designers looked to the Porsche Cayenne and Jaguar F-Pace for inspiration when crafting the side profile of the Levante. That’s not meant as a dig at all, because the vehicle wears the look extremely well.

Maserati Levante (Credit: Maserati)

You likely have noticed the big air intakes in the front fascia. Maserati is including a “Saetta” or “thunderbolt” badge on the C-pillar. The rear of the SUV completes the athletic look, despite the relatively boring taillights.

According to Maserati, the Levante not only will handle great on pavement, it won’t be too shabby at off-roading. Just don’t expect to see one taking on Poison Spider Mesa in Moab.

Maserati Levante (Credit: Maserati )

Unfortunately, for now we don’t have any official world on specs. Maserati is saving those numbers for Geneva, instead of giving it all away now. We can guess on different items, knowing that the Levante shares a platform with the Quattroporte and Ghibli (not the Jeep Grand Cherokee, despite all those rumors claiming otherwise). Expect at least two engine choices, an eight-speed automatic transmission, Q4 all-wheel drive and an air suspension.

If you think that the Maserati Levante is still several months away from hitting dealerships, you’re wrong. The Italians say production is going on right now, and the first vehicles will arrive at showrooms in the spring.