2020 Maserati Levante

The 2020 Maserati Levante is offered in 4 trim levels at an introductory price of $77,000.

Trims	Levante	Levante S	Levante GTS	Levante Trofeo
MSRP	$77,500	$88,000	$122,000	$171,500
Key Features	19-inch Zefiro Aluminium wheels	20-inch alloy wheels	21-inch alloy wheels with low profile tires	Front splitter
	Bi-Xenon headlamps		LED Headlamps	Blackout package
	Q4 Intelligent AWD system		Rear Spoiler	Aggressive front and rear bumpers
	Adaptive air suspension	Premium Surround sound system
	Heated front seats
	8.4 inch Maserati Touch control plus with Navigation
	Apple car play and Andriod Auto
	Rewinding Satellite Radio with SiriusXM
	Rear View Camera with front and rear parking sensors
	Blind-spot monitoring

Which trim do we recommend?

We recommend the Levante S with the Grand Sports pack as it manages to strike the perfect balance between power and creature comforts at a reasonable price point.

Maserati has equipped the Levante with three tasteful engine options. For starters, there's a V6 power plant that puts out a respectable 345 horsepower and 369 lb-ft of torque in the base variant of Levante petrol which in the S variant is bumped up to a healthy 430 horsepower and 428 ib-ft of torque. The GTS variant adds serious performance to the mix with its 550 horsepower twin-turbo V8 and a manic 538lb-ft of torque.

The Trofeo, in essence, is a full-blown supercar that likes to dress up as an SUV. with a 590 horsepower V8 under the hood and 538lb-ft of torque, it is quite capable of shifting a planet out of its access.  

Model	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
MSRP	$75,300	$78,450	$66,375	$60,770
Engine	3 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3.6 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3 Liter Supercharged V6
Transmission	8 Speed Automatic	8 Speed Automatic	8 Speed Automatic	8 Speed Automatic
Power	345hp @ 5750RPM	420hp @6000RPM	333hp @5500RM	380hp@ 6500RPM
Torque	369lb-ft @ 1750RPM	406lb-ft @1350RPM	325lb-ft @ 2900RPM	332lb-ft @4500RPM

 *2019 Figures used for reference purposes only

The comparisons mentioned in tables are between the entry-level variants of some of these SUVs as they are similarly priced, however, both the Maserati and the Porsche are available in manic specs which are the Trofeo and the Turbo S respectively. In this category of SUVs, it is hard to beat the Cayenne in terms of driving dynamics however the Levante comes pretty close to offer similar amounts of thrills as the throw bread Porsche SUV. The Jaguar is undeniably the best bang for your buck proposition here with its supercharged V6 which gives the F-pace its distinct and highly likable driving dynamics.

How fast is it?

The Maserati with its brawny proportions sure does not resemble the idea of a fast car, courtesy its huge SUV proportions and its high ground clearance. But all that changes at the press of a button which puts the engine into psychopath mode and propels this 2.2 tonne SUV to 60 under 6 seconds. But if its the top of the line Trofeo in question, the drama is dialed up to 11 with a dedicated Trofeo button which unleashes the full potential of the Ferrari V8 and propels the Levante in a tarmac shattering 3.6 seconds which is enough to put most sports cars to shame.

Models	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
0-60 MPH	5.8 sec	5.9 sec	5.5 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter Mile	12.0 sec	12.3 sec	14.7 sec	13 sec
Engine	3 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3.6 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3 Liter Twin Turbo V6	3 Liter Supercharged V6
Emission Tons/yr of CO2 Emissions @ 15K Mi/year	10.4	8.8	10.3	9.8

How well does it stop?

The Levante is equipped with 14.9-inch brake rotors in front and 12.9 inches in the rear. These are definitely bigger than the competition. These massive brakes help the Levante to come to halt from 60 MPH in 118 feet. 

Model	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
Brake pads Front (in)	14.9	14.2	13.8	12.8
Brake pads Rear (in)	12.9	13	14.8	12.8
Curb weight (lbs)	4650	4597	4938	4102
60-0 MPH	118 ft	106 ft	112ft	121 ft

The Levante does not offer the best braking performance off the bat especially when you take the size of the rotors into consideration. The GTS and Trofeo variants take care of the breaking department using their Maserati branded Brembo brakes.

What about the driving dynamics?

SUVs aren't known for their sport ride or handling, but the Levante will be happy to change that stereotype. The Levante is the jack of all trades as it offers a sublime ride quality but all that changes with the press of a button. The Levante with its state of the art all-wheel-drive system acts as an RWD through and through only when the system detects a slip does it send power to its front wheels to compensate for the loss in traction. This implies that the Levante can hold ground like nobody's business and carry speeds through the corner like you never imagined possible with an SUV but the rear wheel bias also lets it slide its backend even with the traction control enabled. 

 

The fuel efficiency is where the Levante truly disappoints. Even with the smaller V6 power plant, the Levante is unable to match its rivals with more powerful engines. At 14 miles per gallon, it sits in the supercar territory in terms of fuel economy rather than sharing ground with its direct rivals.

Model	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
MPG (City)	14	17	19	18
MPG (Highway)	20	24	25	23
MPG (Combined)	16	20	21	20

The Levante is every bit a Maserati with an interior that is riddled with Italian-ness and if you are not from Italy, it is simply known as flaws. For starter, the electronically adjustable seats of the Levante are not supportive by any means along with a seatback that moves if you end up adjusting the headrest. But its not all bad news as the interior of the Levante is riddled with FCA elements such as the infotainment screen and even the MID display which looks like its been lifted staring out of a Dodge Charger. This means that the infotainment might not be the fanciest of the lot but it sure gets the job done without any drama. The climate control stack could also use some TLC to go with the rest of the interior. However, the quality of the leather is top-notch and the options that Maserati offers in terms of the customizability are commendable. 

The rear-seat passengers are also served up plenty of space and the addition of the panoramic sunroof does aid in the airiness of the cabin. All in all the Levanti's cabin might not be a match to its German counterparts but it promises to look more flamboyant than any SUV interior you have ever come across.

Models	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
Passenger Capacity	5	5	7	5
Front (Head/Shoulder /Leg) (In.)	N/A	39.6/58.9/NA	38.4/59.5/41.7	37.8/57.7/40.3
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	N/A	N/A	38.8/58.5/38.8	37.5/55.8/37.2
Third (Head/Shoulder/ Leg) (In.)	N/A	N/A	35.9/49.4/29.2	N/A

What's there to keep you entertained?

The FCA derived infotainment might not be the best in the business but it is easy to use and comes with the best Apple car play interface of any infotainment. The dual-layered scroll wheel setup which is used for navigating through the interface might take some getting used to but overall it is a well-rounded unit. Some of the key features of the infotainment are as follows:

• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Satellite radio
• Bluetooth 
• 8.4-inch touchscreen
• Navigation
• Rearview camera
• 10 speaker Harman Kardon audio system (optional)

How much cargo can it carry?

The Maserati Levante does offer a decent amount of cargo space but it is not large enough. At 19.4 cubic ft, it is way below what an SUV should provide. 

Model	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
Cargo Volume	19.4	23.7	14.8	33.5

In a head-on comparison, the Levante falls behind its direct competitors as it has the least cargo capacity. The Audi’s 14.8 cubic ft of the cargo area can be drastically improved to 37.2 cubic ft by folding down the third row of seats. At this price point, a Maserati SUV is expected to have a decent amount of cargo area and the Levate disappoints. 

Creature comforts on offer

• Dual-zone climate control
• Proximity key
• Push-button start
• Eight speaker audio system
• Satellite radio
• Bluetooth 
• 8.4-inch touchscreen
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
• Navigation
• Rearview camera
• Power liftgate
• Panoramic sunroof (optional) 
• 10 speaker Harman Kardon audio system (optional)
• Remote start (optional)
• Blind-spot monitoring (optional)
• Rear cross-traffic alert (optional)
• Adaptive cruise control (optional)
• Traffic sign recognition (optional)
• Forward collision warning (optional)
• Lane departure warning (optional)
• Lane keep assist (optional)
• 360 degree camera (optional)
• Front and rear parking sensors (optional) 

The Levanti is an Angry looking SUV especially if you take a look at its striking front fascia. The Levante is nevertheless unmistakably Maserati with a massive scooped out front grill that bears the famous trident. 

The rear profile can be traced back to most of the Maserati’s currently in production such as the Ghibli and the Grand Turismo with their signature outline styled lights.

The overall profile is by no means the most appealing but the Levante manages to exude an air of elegance which is expected with any vehicle wearing the Maserati badge.

Models	Maserati Levante	Porsche Cayenne	Audi Q7	Jaguar F Pace
Curb weight (lbs)	4650	4597	4938	4102
Length (in)	197	191.1	199.6	186.3
Width (in) (w/o mirror)	77.5	78.7	77.5	81.5
Height (in)	66.1	67.4	68.5	65
Ground clearance (in)	8.0	8.5	8.1	8.4
Wheelbase (in)	118.3	114	117.9	113.1
Track width (in) F/R	63.9/66	64.7/65.7	66.1/66.6	64.6/65.1

In terms of the competition, the F-Pace is the lightest and the Audi sits at the very top of the weight scale but in spite of its weight disadvantage, the Q7 manages to give better gas mileage overall than the Maserati. But as far as sheer street presence goes, it is hard to miss the Levante rolling down the road.

Highlights of the exterior design

• Signature triple side vents
• Available Nerissimo Packages emphasize black exterior elements
• Frameless doors 
• Aggressive front grille 

As Maserati is part of FCA, safety has taken priority with all-new Maserati vehicles. As a result, Maserati has packed the Levante with a tonne of safety gear as standard which includes:

• Six airbags
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Adaptive Front Lighting
• Traffic Sign Recognition
• Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go and Lane Keeping Assist, Highway Assist System (HAS)
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Keeping Assist
• Active Blind Spot Assist
• Surround-View Camera
• Forward Collision Warning Plus
• Rear Cross Path Function
• Front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera
• Hill holder and Hill Descent Control

IIHS and NHTSA have not yet rated this vehicle

Maserati Levante Vs Porsche Cayenne

The Porsche has been the benchmark for high-performance SUVs since its inception back in 2003. The Cayenne with its recent updates has taken the high-performance SUV game to another level which is why the Maserati struggles to match up to the Porsche in a head-on battle. But the Levante does redeem itself with its symphonic V8. 

Maserati Levante VS Audi Q7

The Audi is based on VW’s versatile MLB platform which has proven its roadworthiness in various iterations. It might not be as entertaining to drive as the Levante but the Maserati is no match for Audi’s top-notch build quality and practicality it has on offer.

Maserati Levante VS Jaguar F-Pace

The Jaguar might seem like the underdog in this group due to its clear power disadvantage but the point to note is that it's not just the lightest but also the cheapest and though the supercharged V6 might not be as symphonic as the glorious V8 found in the higher end Levantes it does have a sound that's simply addictive.

 

Should you buy the Levante?

The midsize luxury SUV market has grown dramatically over the past few years and Maserati’s first attempt to capture the segment is far from perfect. The build quality is subpar and the interior feels cheap. Maserati offers the least amount of cargo space out of the four cars and the rear seats don’t feel supportive. Porsche offers more performance, reliability, and practicality at a comparable price.