Invite to Levante

[P R]

6k premium for a petrol engine ? Most manufacturers are or were charging a premium for diesel engines. Its a couple of years since i looked at buying new. Has the whole petrol / diesel price premium flipped round again in the last 12 months or so ?

Certainly with the Ghibli it has. I think its a (relatively) cheap diesel engine to manufacture vs a relatively expensive petrol

 

[bigbob]

Ghibli pricing is very strange. I don't understand why the base petrol needs to be £5k more than the diesel and then the S petrol is another £11k for more power and different coloured callipers and...that's it.! At the very least it should have metallic, skyhook, paddles and wheels bigger than 18" for a ridiculous £65k. No surprise that I received a text yesterday offering bargains on new Ghibli.

And then the base petrol has 20PS more in North America than in Europe. What's that about?

Plus they could not be bothered to engineer it for 4WD in RHD......just lazy.

 

[MrMickS]

They know people will pay a premium for the engine in the S so price accordingly.

I wouldn't have gone for the S if I hadn't got a very good deal on an ex-demonstrator. I also wouldn't have gone for diesel. So it would have been the standard petrol or wait for the Alfa Giulia QV.

 

[StuartW]

I'll be there. Price seems to be about £55k for basic model which is X5 money. Hope to see some of you there.

Yes, I was told today @ Marshall in Peterborough it will be £54k for a base diesel. Sounds like a good deal to me

 

[bigbob]

Yes, I was told today @ Marshall in Peterborough it will be £54k for a base diesel. Sounds like a good deal to me

If a decade ago any of us had said that £54k for a 500kg overweight, one foot too high Maserati with a Diesel engine that could only do seven seconds to 60 was a good idea most people would have said we were idiots.

 

[bigbob]

They know people will pay a premium for the engine in the S so price accordingly.

I wouldn't have gone for the S if I hadn't got a very good deal on an ex-demonstrator. I also wouldn't have gone for diesel. So it would have been the standard petrol or wait for the Alfa Giulia QV.

Thing is it also puts you off the base petrol which is the right price but has pre-historic power to weight.

 

[StuartW]

If a decade ago any of us had said that £54k for a 500kg overweight, one foot too high Maserati with a Diesel engine that could only do seven seconds to 60 was a good idea most people would have said we were idiots.

Indeed, how things have changed!

 

[v12v8]

Not sure who went tonight but I thought it was rubbish. Luckily the car was very impressive. They'll sell loads. U.K. base of £54,500 confirmed. Deposit going down tomorrow.

 

[MAF260]

I went. I really like the car, it's very Maserati in the new way (cue the haters and Luddites slagging off Maserati's strategy of trying to sell mor cars). I missed the waffle at the beginning so just had a good look at the cars, chatted to,a few people and enjoyed the mocktails (I was driving). A few of the women present scrubbed up rather well also!
I don't need a car like this right now and Mrs MAF would ruin one so she can't have one. It's certainly a future contender for a Ghibli replacement in a year or so.

My thoughts:
The exterior looks really purposeful, it will stand out on the road. There were 2 cars in white and dark blue, both of the colours suited the styling; different to the Ghibli which suits lighter colours IMO. Both had brown interiors, one full leather and one with what appears to be a return to tech cloth in the seat centres. They're remarkably similar to the Ghibli and QP - a really lovely place to be from my experience.
theres more rear legroom than a Ghibli, but still not 3 full seats in the rear. The boot is not a lot bigger than the Ghibli, maybe a little taller and with the added benefit of the parcel shelf to allow more space.

Like v12v8 I think they'll sell a lot of these. Dealers tonight were also talking about the demand for a petrol version in the UK and all believe this will happen in about a year.

some pics

 

[Doohickey]

Looks good. I'm not in the market for something like this but could have my head turned if I was. Shame they couldn't find a right hand drive one!

 

[GeoffCapes]

I think they look good. The future Mrs Capes has said that she'd like one.
So I suggested she gets saving!

 

[dem maser]

Perfect for commuting up and down the M1

 

[Contigo]

Stunning looking SUV imo and a real way to stand out from the rest of the crowd, the main reason we all drive such a leftfield esoteric brand.

 

[dem maser]

I personally would love one.....its a little pricey for me though hence why I think ill be putting a deposit down on the Giulia diesel until the Levante drops in a couple of years

 

[daverichardson]

I like it

 

[StuartW]

Looking forward to seeing it in the flesh and on the road to get a true picture but I'm surprised it doesn't carry 5 people, surely that's a prerequisite in a luxury SUV? Even a Freelander has 5 seats plus an optional 3rd row to make 7

 

[dem maser]

Is it a 4 seater?

 

[conaero]

Is it a 4 seater?

5 and yes I like it too, in petrol.

 

[drewf]

I like it a lot, except the grill. I don't think it works well with the large vertical bars, it's just too big - looks like teeth, rather like the Jeep grill, or a Buick. Replace that with mesh, and it's a goer for me.

 

[hilts uk]

Didn't see you there last night MAF among the B listers. I was stood next to two girls from Little Mix most of the night and never recognised them much to the disgust of my 13 yr old daughter. The event was more like a fashion show than a car launch. Lots of beards and rolled up trousers. Not many car people there. Says a lot about what they are doing with their brand - less about the sporting past and more about being a luxury brand name.
I was quiet happy with the car and will be going ahead with the order. Its priced around the same as a similar speced Macan or X5 and cheaper than the Cayenne. The interior is stunning and certainly a step up form my Macan. The grill is a real statement and the curve of the roof at the rear is also very obvious.
The only thing I didn't like was that the trident on the front grill is made of rubberised plastic - almost like its sealed in some cheap synthetic jelly like material. Really odd. Apparently it has the lane assist stuff in there and if you don't specify this then you can get a standard metal one.