Maserati to launch Levante SUV at Geneva motor show

Italian luxury auto maker Maserati will the first glimpse of the external look of the Levante, the first SUV in the brand’s more than one hundred years of history at the upcoming Geneva International Motor Show. The Levante will take aim at competitors such as the Porsche Cayenne and all-new Jaguar F-PACE.

All the engine options will be mated to an 8-speed gearbox that will send the power to all four wheels through Maserati’s “Q4” all-wheel drive system. Though the final price won’t be announced until a public presentation at the Geneva vehicle show next month, Maserati has said the SUV will start at about 70,000 euros ($78,000), which would put it squarely between the marque’s Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. Signatures that are present include the familiar face and grille (with BMW X-style ‘third-eye’), the three-hole air vents on the front wings, the trapezoidal C-pillar with the “Saetta” logo and frameless door windows.

“At a technical level, the Maserati Levante’s chassis is created to combine the outstanding on-road performance typical of every Maserati with unrivalled handling even on very low-grip surfaces and an excellent off-road performance and ride”, the brand claims. Meanwhile the Lamborghini Urus whose launch is not expected expected before 2018, is the Maserati Levante just crossing swords with the German SUV.

No engine details are being released at this stage, other than that there will a range of choices in petrol and diesel, all Euro6-compliant.

The first cars are already rolling off the production line, and the Levante will officially go on sale in the spring.