Australian specifications and pricing for the 2018 Maserati Levante S have been released, the petrol-powered SUV is priced from $169,990 plus on-road costs.
The Levante S is powered by a Ferrari-built twin-turbo V6 engine currently used in the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans. It’s good for 321kW of power and 580Nm of torque.
Opting for the Levante S brings performance advantages over the 3.0-litre 202kW/600Nm diesel. Maserati claims a 0-100km/h dash takes 5.2 seconds, nearly 2 seconds faster than the diesel. The S has a top speed of 264km/h.
Fuel consumption comes in at a very optimistic 10.9L/100km on a combined cycle.
All 2018 Levante variants receive an upgraded safety package that includes highway assist, lane keep assist, blind spot monitoring, traffic sign recognition and a 360-degree camera.
While the extra safety kit is welcome and frankly should be included in a car at this price, a compromise has needed to be made. To accommodate the new safety kit, Maserati has switched to an electric power steering set-up. Purists may lament the loss of the hydraulic option.
All 2018 models get the electronically-controlled Skyhook shock absorbers as standard.
Both Levante S and diesel are available in standard, GranSport and GranLusso trim levels. The new naming structure does away with the Sport and Luxury trims offered on the 2017 diesel.
The Zegna silk interior is now standard on Levante GranLusso variants, as is soft-close doors.
There are also five new alloy wheel options to choose from.
2018 Maserati Levante pricing (excludes on-road costs):
Levante Diesel – $139,990
Levante Diesel GranSport – $159,990
Levante Diesel GranLusso – $159,990
Levante S – $169,990
Levante S GranSport – $179,990
Levante S GranLusso – $179,990
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