The Maserati Levante looks on course to get a Ferrari-built 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged V6 petrol option in the UK, following a business case investigation by the Italian manufacturer.
Maserati's head of marketing Mike Briscoe told Autocar: "Diesel is a primary concern and would certainly outsell the petrol in the UK, but a petrol model - like the Turbo Macan for Porsche - would be beneficial to the Maserati brand."
The petrol unit is also featured in the Ghibli SQ4, in which it produces 404bhp and 406lb ft. The Ghibli SQ4 is all-wheel drive, like the Levante, so it's likely that outputs would be identical in both models.
The original plan was for the Levante to be offered only with a diesel engine in the UK, but a statement from the Italian brand earlier this year signalled the start of an evaluation of the business case to develop its first SUV with the 3.0-litre V6 petrol engine in right-hand drive form.
The Levante is the Italian brand’s first foray into the SUV segment. It will rival the Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne and Jaguar F-Pace and was revealed at the Geneva motor show.
Read our review of the Levante here
The Levante sits on an updated version of the platform used in the Ghibli and Quattroporte saloons and has a drag coefficient of 0.31, putting it at the top of the class. To boost aerodynamics further, the model features a so-called Air Shutter behind the concave grille, designed to control the amount of air making its way to the engine.
Join the debate
Daniel Joseph
How much...
david RS
Panzerkrieg.
Pierre
Another Blob on the Landscape.
289
Levante
Maserati have missed the sweet spot big time here!
289
Levante
Maserati have missed the sweet spot big time here!
jer
Its not beautiful like the Grand coupe
Cyborg
Maser
Cyborg
bol
Inelegant lump
scottishrichard
Might have to change...
Beg to differ as to who makes an attractive SUV and I get to see thousands of these here in the States where current sized Americans can no longer fit in a 'sedan'.I do not find the Porsche attractive except to mindless fans of the marque who might want one they won't spin in the rain (more in Florida per year than in Scotland!).Most of the other German ones look as if they could be used for a rapid break out through the Ardennes. So that makes JLR the makers of the only attractive ones on the market.
You could just say this is ex-patriotism, except I won't mention the Bentley. And the forthcoming Lambo looks as if there might be one capable stylist (maybe one honest man as well) in the Volkswagen group.The present Ford Explorer looks OK as well except when it has a blue flashing light across the roof; are they going to bring that in to the UK as part of the one Ford scheme? The Mustang is a big hit so they might try that- had the new Disco styling about two years earlier!
ScottishRichard
kboothby
Barfff... pass the sick bucket
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