winds of change
The Viento de Levante is the name bestowed upon a warm Mediterranean wind, known to transition from gentle to gale force in an instant. A statement of intent by Maserati, that like the breeze from whence the moniker came, its pioneer high-riding product would offer a similar duality of nature.
Bearing more than a passing resemblance to the current Maserati portfolio, the Levante sports a proud, upright convex grille resplendent with oversized Trident and triple fender gills. These are, along with the Saetta badge on the C-pillar, the emotional draws of the beast’s skin.
Within, a cleaner interface is presented — similar to the Ghibli sedan — unlike the button-heavy execution of the center stack in Maseratis of yore. Smartphone mirroring is standard with the Maserati Touch Control 8.4-inch interface; on the tunnel console sit a neat column of switchgear for various behavioural selections — manual gear selection, sport suspension activation and off-road mode among others.
On the move, the practicality of its SUV bodystyle is perfectly matched by the powertrain pairing available for the local market. A torquey 3.0-litre turbodiesel V6 – good for 275hp and 600Nm – links to an eight speed automatic, making for accomplished in-gear acceleration and serene high-speed cruising at low engine speeds. For when the aforementioned gale force urgency is required, Skyhook adaptive dampers complement the balanced weight distribution for surprising athleticism — especially in Sport mode. And yet, with torque-vectoring all-wheel drive and five selectable dynamic ride heights, Maserati claims off-road abilities are not compromised.
Priced from RM888,800, the Levante can be had with Sport and Luxury packages at additional cost. Premium Italian clothier Ermenegildo Zegna offers exclusive strokes on the latter with the Zegna Edition, combining the already luxurious leather with natural fibre Zegna Mulberry Silk inserts on the seats, roof liner and sun visors. Those with a more individual vision are welcome to tailor their Levante within the convivial Maserati customisation room at Naza Italia. Fitting, because for an SUV such as this, ability should come at no expense of style.
