First Levante in the flesh (for me anyway)

[LeeH]

Hello guys

Been a long while since I have been on here, since selling my Gransport and moving to Braemar in Scotland.

But as a Levante parked outside our Coffee shop, holiday cabins and Ski Shop I thought I had better have a good look at it.

Not as bad as I thought, would not be bad for cruising round the highlands, although will have to stick with the Outback for now.

Few piccies:



Think I will miss the Gransport this summer :-(
Time to find something fun up here to drive.

Lee

 

[iainw]

Hello guys

Been a long while since I have been on here, since selling my Gransport and moving to Braemar in Scotland.

But as a Levante parked outside our Coffee shop, holiday cabins and Ski Shop I thought I had better have a good look at it.

Not as bad as I thought, would not be bad for cruising round the highlands, although will have to stick with the Outback for now.

Few piccies:

View attachment 41960View attachment 41961View attachment 41962

Think I will miss the Gransport this summer :-(
Time to find something fun up here to drive.

Lee

I don't like it at all Especially in white.
RR or Stelvio QV every day of the week for me

 

[Andyk]

With you on that Iain. For me the test is if you take the grill and badge off you would still know it was a Maserati .... Levante could be German, Japanese.....without the grill and badge.....You certainly couldn't say that about the GT, the QP 5 are models before that.

 

[montravia]

Mmmmmmmmmm, luverly, another shed.


Mind if it sells and keeps subsidising proper Maseratis just as the gorgeously cute and chuckable little FIAT 500 does for the FCA group as a whole, then I hope that it succeeds.

( Every 7th new car sold in Europe is a FIAT 500, who would have guessed that we'd come to say Bless Polski FIATS)

Runs and ducks

 

[TridentTested]

There's a blue one parked on the street near us; I pass it every day.

The blue is lovely, but if it wasn't for the badge I would think it any other SUV. Quite underwhelming.

 

[jayblue]

I can only echo the sentiments of others. I saw one for the first time on the road a few weeks ago and it just did nothing for me. Not a car I will aspire to own.

 

[bigbob]

I saw three at Graypaul Edinburgh the other day and think it's the best looking car in it's space as, increasingly, is the Ghibli given how dull modern three box saloons are becoming. QPVI still looks too long mind...

I would still prefer a petrol option for the Levante. I believe that is coming but only as the S variant which carries quite a large price premium to the diesel in the Ghibli (about £15k).

White does nothing for the Levante IMHO, dark blue or dark grey looked good and I am sure that black - when clean - would be great.

 

[MrCoop]

I don't think it looks like a Maserati either, there isn't much about it to differentiate it from the other SUV's. As ugly as the Bentayga is, at least you can tell it's a Bentley straight away. I'm not a big fan of the 4x4's but always wanted a full fat RR. Recently test drove the Macan S (petrol) and loved it but it's a lot of money for a type of car I don't really need. For the same money, I could be sat in a RS6/RS7 or a nice GTS.

 

[Andyk]

The only design you can really pick out is the three side vents.....

 

[Rex B]

I think there is quite a lot of to identify it as a Maserati, Wing vents, Grill, Badges on the quarter pillar, and the frameless door windows all strong Maserati design elements. And side on has to be the best looking SUV in its class. Just put a V8 Petrol under the bonnet.

Rex B
Manual 3200

 

[montravia]

Saw a large clutch in different colours at D Lovetts yesterday.

Missus summed it up, "looks like any other".

Diesel + SUV =/= a Maserati to me, but there again neither do the other 'prestige' SUV offerings represent their marques.

Just mummy barges all, trucks with a different frock on

(So which mummy in her barge pulled out from offside parking behind another, pushed me violently off the road in Cirencester last week, such that the 500's ABS couldn't cope, my briefcase and other items ended up against the firewall and forcing me to take avoidance action slewing into a fortunate LH junction narrowly missing another exiting schoolrun barge. Now happily satisfied that the road had been cleared of cluttering traffic then all the other school-run barges perceiving that there was now a gap happily created, proceeded to pour past while I de-stalled the engine.)

My wife has one. The height and presence allows her to see better, and makes her feel safe, she says. I agree.

Armoured battering rams more like in the wrong hands

 

[Rwc13]

The only design you can really pick out is the three side vents.....

Utter tosh. There's lots of common design cues, eg the lights front and rear which are clearly in the same family as Ghibli and QPVI, the curve and flare over the rear wheel arches which is carried through from the GTS to the Ghibli and QPVI, there's even the shape of the bonnet with high outside edge dropping away and then rising to a raised centre section. Perhaps you should actually look properly at the cars rather than make inane comments just to have something to say

 

[iainw]

No comparison to the Range Rover Sports in terms of materials/ quality of spec and technical/ audio visual bits.
Can't see it selling in volume. I understand why they made the ghibli and levante but personally think Alfa have done a better job with their new offerings. Both QVs are truly fast and exciting. Why would maserati only offer diesel in the levante and a ghibli S which isn't excitingly fast. Is it even faster than a 335?

 

[Rwc13]

Some people just don't get Maserati.........hence they don't hang around long

 

[Andyk]

Utter tosh. There's lots of common design cues, eg the lights front and rear which are clearly in the same family as Ghibli and QPVI, the curve and flare over the rear wheel arches which is carried through from the GTS to the Ghibli and QPVI, there's even the shape of the bonnet with high outside edge dropping away and then rising to a raised centre section. Perhaps you should actually look properly at the cars rather than make inane comments just to have something to say

You have a far greater experience in Maserati ownership than me and the fact you have one.......But I'm not the only one on here saying the same thing. Design cues should jump out at you but if you have to look hard then it's trying too hard....As long as people who buy them enjoy them then that's what matters.....Still not a car that makes me say great Maserati styling but perhaps there is only so much you can do with a 4x4.......It was my wife was the one who said the only way she could tell it was a Maserati was the side vents and that is very someone impartial. It's not us that Maserati have to convince as we are only a small amount of people it's the customer who would never have bought a Maserati before and have RR, Porsche, F-Pace etc.

 

[MrMickS]

I think there is a limited amount that they can do with the basic SUV shape. RR have a distinctive outline, and have done something different with the Evoque and Velar, everyone else has a similar side profile. In that sense it is a little disappointing that Maserati haven't been as bold as maybe they could have been in the design. The clues where there from the off with it though. Its a me-too SUV, albeit with Maserati fittings, that was needed to latch onto the luxury market segment that is growing. Its a shame its a me-too though and not something more.

That said, if I were to move somewhere that an SUV made sense, and they brought the petrol over here, I'd probably buy one over the competition. I would have looked at RR but there are too many negative associations with owning a new one these days.

 

[Andyk]

That's the word Mick...Bold.....Spot on....Hard in this segment but wish they had been bolder.

 

[Rwc13]

Well to be fair Andy, your views on cars change from day to day. You were a huge detractor of the Ghibli when it first appeared, then you started to say it's a great looking car, even posting photos of them saying how great they look, but today apparently no Maserati's since the GTS are elegant? Are you inconsistent or do you just like to follow the herd? Perhaps you'll love the Levante next week?

 

[Rwc13]

I think there is a limited amount that they can do with the basic SUV shape. RR have a distinctive outline, and have done something different with the Evoque and Velar, everyone else has a similar side profile. In that sense it is a little disappointing that Maserati haven't been as bold as maybe they could have been in the design. The clues where there from the off with it though. Its a me-too SUV, albeit with Maserati fittings, that was needed to latch onto the luxury market segment that is growing. Its a shame its a me-too though and not something more.

That said, if I were to move somewhere that an SUV made sense, and they brought the petrol over here, I'd probably buy one over the competition. I would have looked at RR but there are too many negative associations with owning a new one these days.

Range Rover follow the same fundamental design language in all their cars - boxy. So do BMW. And Mercedes. The Levante echos the design language of the Ghibli and QPVI in an SUV, which is what I would expect. And I can assure you from having driven one for 3 months, the majority of people who know anything about cars have no problem recognising it as a Maserati. And I'm not sure a Maserati SUV should be bold, like say a Lamborghini SUV. That's not really in the Maserati DNA. Would you describe the Ghibli as bold for a saloon car. No. But it is elegant and I think very Italian in its individuality. The Maserati DNA

 

[Andyk]

Well to be fair Andy, your views on cars change from day to day. You were a huge detractor of the Ghibli when it first appeared, then you started to say it's a great looking car, even posting photos of them saying how great they look, but today apparently no Maserati's since the GTS are elegant? Are you inconsistent or do you just like to follow the herd? Perhaps you'll love the Levante next week?

Yep the Ghibli has def grown on me over time...............Levante... Ummm ..... Maybe...maybe not.....Its a bit like the ugly girl that you have to get to know to realise that it's what's inside that counts not what's on the outside