Carsales Staff•19 Jan 2015
NEWS
SPY PICS: Maserati Levante mule in winter testing
Ghibli sheet metal grafted on an SUV floorpan and underpinnings for new model due here late 2016Update, February 2: Since this report was published, Maserati has issued a statement, passed by the local distributors to motoring.com.au, concerning the platform of the Levante. The text of the statement reads as follows:
"For the launch of the new sedan models [Quattroporte (1st half 2013) and Ghibli (2nd half 2013)] Maserati designed and developed a totally new platform. The new Maserati SUV (Levante) will be built on the evolution of the sedan platform".
Maserati has been caught in northern Scandinavia, testing this odd looking beast, which is a mule combining the structure and mechanicals of its Levante SUV, clothed in Ghibli sedan bodywork.
Although we had previously reported that the Levante would be built on a Quattroporte floorpan, word out of Europe suggests the car is more likely to be built on Jeep's Grand Cherokee architecture. Either way it means the Levante will be a monocoque SUV – with all that says about passive safety, NVH suppression and on-road dynamics.
Maserati has gone on record saying that the Levante will not go head to head with Porsche's Cayenne when it reaches global markets, but given the storied manufacturer's commitment to growing sales – including here in Australia – it will be a balancing act, pitching the Levante somewhere between Cayenne and Bentley's new Bentayga SUV.
In this country, as fascinated as we are by SUVs, the Levante will have a major role to play in expanding Maserati's sales. Buyers will be offered a choice of V6 diesel or twin-turbo petrol V6 and V8 engines, coupled to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving through a permanent all-wheel drive system. Those drivetrain alternatives are expected to be made available in Australia.
Maserati is building the Levante at its factory in Mirafiori, in northern Italy.
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Maserati
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4x4 Offroad Cars
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Written byCarsales Staff
Our team of independent expert car reviewers and journalists
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