The Maserati Levante S range is now available in Malaysia

The Maserati Levante S was engineered to excite. It was evident when it made its world premiere at the 2017 Frankfurt Motorshow and fast forward a few months, it has now arrived in Malaysia. Petrol-powered and twin-turbocharged, the brand’s new SUV range is adorned with high tech features and the promise of a sporting prowess.

Its Maserati twin-turbo V6 engine – designed in conjunction with the Ferrari Powertrain development team – is a beast, but an eco-friendly one. Featuring the latest Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) technology at its core, the SUV is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h in 5.2 seconds, peaking at 316 kW of power with a maximum torque of 580 Nm, and yet boasts an average fuel consumption of 10.9litres/100km and CO2 emission levels at 253g/km.

Of course, for what its performance is worth, its low fuel consumption and CO2 emission levels aren’t just attributed to a great engine. It’s also thanks to its aerodynamic design (the Levante S boasts the lowest centre of gravity in its class), extensive use of lightweight materials with an ideal 50:50 weight distribution and the exclusive Air Suspension feature. Comfort and active safety, in turn, are greatly improved. 

One thing leads to another and when it comes to speed, the Levante S is clearly competitive and thus, it helps that the car adopted a state-of-the-art braking system and an eight-speed automatic ZF gearbox for seamless comfort and fast gear shifting – depending on the selected drive mode. There are four choices, each with a distinct character, intelligently altering engine, transmission, suspension and electronic features: Normal, I.C.E, Sport and Off-Road. To complement, there are newly-introduced Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as Highway Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition. To support, the Levante’s hydraulic power steering has been replaced with electric power steering to provide improved handling and driving comfort. 

Technicalities aside, the Maserati Levante S comes with two trim options: GranLusso and GranSport. The former emphasises on luxury with metallic-finish front skid plates and roof rails on the exterior; and a choice of Ermenegildo Zegna silk or full premium Italian upholstery with a Radica open-pore wood trim and leather steering wheel for the interior. The latter focuses on sportiness with Piano Black front grille, skid plates and roof rails; 20″ Nereo wheels and a Sport steering wheel with standard gearshift paddles, to name a few. It’s a tough choice but rest assured, the performance of the Levante S will certainly not disappoint.

The petrol-powered Levante S starts at the price of RM 788,800 (inclusive of local taxes and duties) and includes 3 years Standard Warranty coverage with no mileage restriction plus a *Maserati Premium Service Plus of 3 years/ 60,000 km whichever comes first. For more info, visit their website.