Maserati Levante Review

The 2017 Maserati Levante is a luxury midsize SUV with impeccable exotic styling and high-class performance.

With the superb handling of a sports car but the practicality of an SUV, this is a truly spectacular vehicle for those seeking a little of everything from one SUV. Although this is the first SUV from Maserati, they most certainly came prepared to sweep up the competition.

It has a powerful, well crafted engine with an abundance of power, enough for towing and tight maneuvering, along with an extensive list of features which has enabled the all new Levante to rightly fight and claw its way to the top of its class.

The Levante seats five with beautifully crafted leather coming standard. Taller people might find the seating slightly cramped and desire more headroom, however the near silent cabin allows for relaxing rides set apart from the bustle and noise of the road.

With Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, AWD, and navigation all coming standard, there are quite a few reasons to call the all new Levante your new SUV.

You are offered the choice of two Ferrari-built engines, both of which incurs impressive power and an endearing growl. Levante enlists an adaptive suspension that affords sportscar-esque cornering and keeps the ride pristinely smooth. Maserati equips every Levante with a twin-turbocharged 3.0l V6. In base models, it generates 345 horsepower. In the Levante S models, the V6 is engineered to produce 424 horsepower. 

An 8-speed automatic transmission and AWD system both come standard. Zero to 60mph is accomplished in only 5.8 seconds in the base model and with the S model, it cuts that down to just 5 seconds flat and ups its top speed to 164 mph.

The Levante can also apply the brakes on individual wheels using a technique known as torque vectoring which can further reduce slip and enhance cornering ability. Its adaptive suspension also features two off-road modes which increase its ground clearance for better maneuvering over rough terrain. The first mode lifts its body by an inch, while the second mode adds an extra half inch of ride height. Additional off-roading tech includes hill start and hill descent modes.

Maserati’s Levante falls flat however with a disappointing MPG rating of just 14/city and 20/highway making it one of the lowest in the class.

The Levante’s interior is luxuriously accented by high-class wood and leather, and with the seemingly endless number of interior customization options, you can even get silk trim for the seats, doors, and roof lining with the Luxury package.  

The large 8.4-inch touch screen overtakes the dash and is perhaps not quite as intuitive as some of its rivals.

It falls short on its cargo space with only 19.4 feet of cubic space and 57 with the seats folded, a sizable portion smaller than its competitors. 

They generously have supplied Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to come standard as well as navigation system, although some of the other SUVs in this class have longer option lists.

The 2017 Maserati Levante interior comes in 5 styles. Style availability varies by trim level, but the options are: Rosso W/Nero Stitching, Nero W/Grigio Stitching, Marrone W/Rosso Stitching, Cuoio/Grigio, Sabbia.

There’s no denying the Levante’s striking lines and sleek curves; it is sure to turn heads and be the cause of a wealth of envy as it expertly hugs curbs and accelerates effortlessly.

The 2017 Maserati Levante exterior comes in 17 color variants. Color availability varies by trim level, but the options are: Nero, Grigio Metallic, Verde Ossido Metallic, Champagne Metallescent, Bianco Alpi Pearlescent, Bianco, Blu Passione Mica, Rosso Rubino Mica, Grigio Metallo Metallic, Blu Emozione Mica, Grigio Maratea Metallescent, Rame Mica, Carbon Fiber, Ebony High-Gloss Wood, Rovere Chiaro Open Pore Wood, Radica Open Pore Wood, High Gloss Erable Trim.

Neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety have published crash test results for the 2017 Maserati Levante yet.

Base model comes standard with only a rearview camera, however, there are a number of advanced safety features available, including blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, a 360-degree camera, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, and forward collision warning with brake assist.

On the downside, the Levante does not offer automatic self-parking or lane keep assist which the Range Rover Sport and Mercedes-Benz GLE both offer, as well as forward collision warning with brake assist features coming standard which Levante does not have, even optionally.

The Levante 3.0L base MSRP starts at $72,600 with the S 3.0L $83,800.

When it comes to the Maserati Levante, you get what you pay for. This luxury SUV is most definitely an upscale vehicle with high-class details from its headlights to exhaust pipe.

With all that said, this is not the best value for its class. The Porsche Cayenne and BMW X5 are both significantly cheaper options and come with a different arrangement of features. Not better, just different, so it will very much will depend on your priorities whether the Levante is a good value to you, or an overpriced high-performance beast.

The Levante does not yet have a predicted reliability rating from J.D. Power and Associates.

The 2017 Maserati Levante is covered by a 4-year/50,000-mile new car limited warranty which is on par with others in the class.

The 2017 Maserati Levante is assuredly going to be the topic of discussion with its strong entrance to the midsize luxury SUV line, but we’ll have to wait to hear about its reliability and safety ratings since they have yet to be released. Other factors that could be cause for hesitancy is the poor MPG rating of only 14/city and 20/highway.

However, it strongly allures with impressive performance, power and an impeccably smooth ride. The quality exemplified throughout the interior and exterior also play strongly to its defense. 

Its price-tag should most definitely be a consideration as well, seeing as there are cheaper options that also exhibit excellent performance.

If you’re seeking a well-oiled, fine-tuned machine with ample power, luxury, light towing and off-roading capabilities, with the ergonomics of an SUV but the refinement and ride of a sportscar, the Levante could possibly fit your needs perfectly and be the luxury SUV for you.