Off-road capable Levante SUV rounds out Maserati's luxury range

Maserati Levante SUV in Geneva. (Newspress)

Maserati unveiled the Levante, in Geneva on March 1, the Italian automaker’s first-ever SUV and a vehicle it says is defined by “design, exclusivity and performance.”

The Levante is based on the same architecture as Maserati’s Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans, though of course adapted to SUV proportions and strengthened for off-road-ability.

Chassis upgrades include a double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear laid out to give the Levante a low center-of-gravity and 50-50 front-rear weight distribution.

The interior comes fitted with an electric panoramic sunroof and is available trimmed in a variety of materials, from premium leather to Ermenegildo Zegna silk.

The Levante is powered by a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 in either 345- or 424-horsepower trims, which channels torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission and then to all four wheels via Maserati’s “Q4” intelligent AWD.

The more powerful Levante S will do the zero-to-100 km/h sprint in 5.1 seconds and top out at 264 km/h (164 mph); while the base Levante takes 5.9 seconds to do the same and is 13 km/h slower (8 mph) slower at its best.

The Maserati Levante has already begun production, with first deliveries expected to happen this spring in Europe, followed by the rest of the world. The base price is $72,000 US, or $96,500 Canadian.