2017 Maserati Levante: First Impressions
CARS.COM — Maserati has been making a comeback lately with the success of the Ghibli sedan, a more affordable entry-level model that has boosted the brand’s exposure to a whole new generation of buyers. Now, hoping to cash in on the luxury SUV craze, Maserati finally unveiled the long-awaited 2017 Levante at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show in Switzerland; it made its U.S. debut in New York. Expected at dealerships late this year, the Levante is built upon the Ghibli platform, which is itself a heavily modified Chrysler rear-wheel drive chassis.
It’s difficult to say if the Levante looks good. The best description may be that it looks like a tall Ghibli hatchback, featuring most of the sedan’s styling cues, lines, and themes. The styling works well on the Ghibli; I’m not sure that it translates to the taller proportions of the Levante, much in the way that the Porsche 911’s iconic good looks just don’t ignite any fires when expanded to the bulky Cayenne SUV. Suffice it to say that if you like the looks of Maserati’s Ghibli, Quattroporte, and GranTurismo coupe, you’ll be perfectly happy with a Levante in the driveway as well.
The interior is similar to the Ghibli’s digs, which is to say it’s a bit garish. Copious use of leather and metal make for a luxurious environment, but the whole cabin feels a bit tawdry when outfitted in bordello red leather. Perhaps a more subdued color would look better. The central multimedia system wasn’t operational at the show, but here’s hoping that it’s not the thinly disguised Chrysler UConnect system that I tested in a Ghibli. That system works well, but one does not expect to see the same screens in a $100,000 luxury SUV that one can see in a $20,000 Dodge Dart. At least the interior is comfortable, with big seats and plenty of room all around.
Maserati is not your typical luxury brand. It has a different cachet to it that sets it apart from competitors such as BMW or Mercedes-Benz, carrying with it a whiff of the exotic Italian brands with which it shares some national heritage. This enables it to get a little racier, be a little more “out there” when it comes to styling and interiors, but when that adventurous nature starts to pose questions of taste, one has to wonder if Maserati’s gone too far.
