Naza Italia, the official importer and distributor for Maserati in Malaysia, officially introduced the five-seater Maserati Levante S at a launch event at Desa Park City, Kuala Lumpur.
“Maserati has injected extra power and performance into an already impressive luxury SUV. The petrol-powered Levante S has been eagerly awaited and will no doubt be a popular new addition to Malaysia’s luxury automotive market,” said Datuk Wira SM Faisal Tan Sri SM Nasimuddin, group executive chairman of Naza World Group of Companies.
There are two trim options: GranLusso and GranSport.
GranLusso trim
The GranLusso trim has metallic-finish front skid plates and roof rails, GranLusso badges on the front wings, body-colour side skirts, black-painted brake calipers and 19-inch Zefiro alloy wheels.
The GranLusso cabin combines a choice of Ermenegildo Zegna silk or full premium Italian upholstery with a Radica open-pore wood trim and leather steering wheel.
The extravagant trim also includes standard 12-way power comfort seats, a Harman Kardon Sound System, power-adjustable steering wheel, illuminated door sills, parking sensors, navigation system and new Soft Close Doors.
GranSport trim
Externally, the Levante S GranSport is recognisable by its Piano Black front grille, skid plates and roof rails, GranSport badges on the front wings, body-colour side skirts, blue inserts on all Trident and Saetta logos, red brake calipers and 20-inch Nereo wheels.
Both the exterior design and interior features reflect the legendary racing heritage of the Maserati brand.
The interior has Sport 12-way power leather seats and power-adjustable Sport steering wheel combine with a carbon trim, a Sport steering wheel with standard gearshift paddles, power-adjustable Inox sport pedals, parking sensors and navigation system.
The Levante S has a 430hp/580Nm twin-turbo V6, direct injected engine that is on par with its competitors in terms of fuel consumption, with 10.9 litres per 100km on the NEDC test cycle.
The Levante S adopts the eight-speed automatic ZF gearbox that provides seamless comfort and fast gear shifting, depending on the selected drive mode and presents a choice of four drive modes, “Normal”, I.C.E., “Sport” and “Off-road”.
Each one constitutes a distinct character, intelligently altering engine, transmission, suspension and electronics features.
The V6 engine’s specific torque of 194Nm per litre is the best in the luxury SUV class, as is its specific power (144hp per litre).
The Levante S accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 5.2 seconds and has a top speed of 264 km/h.
Maserati has replaced the Levante’s hydraulic power steering with electric power steering to provide improved handling and driving comfort in the Levante S.
This also better supports the driving modes and enables the newly-introduced Advanced Driving Assistance Systems (ADAS) with more active functions.
These functions include Highway Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Active Blind Spot Assist and Traffic Sign Recognition.
As for braking power, the front system has adopted Brembo 6-piston aluminium monobloc calipers working on 380mm drilled discs.
Aluminium 42mm floating calipers with 330mm x 22mm ventilated drilled discs are fitted at the rear.
Maserati has achieved unparalleled agility with the Levante S, which boasts the lowest centre of gravity in its class, thanks to the extensive use of lightweight materials and an ideal 50:50 weight distribution.
The Levante S’s exclusivity stems from technical features like Air Suspension, electronically controlled Skyhook shock absorbers and the Q4 AWD system, which come as standard equipment.
The aluminium double-wishbone, five-link suspension layout comprises standard Air Springs and electronically-controlled Skyhook shock absorbers.
Apart from the obvious benefits, such as the improvement of comfort and active safety, the air suspension contributes to the reduction of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to the lowering of the car and the reduced aerodynamic drag at medium to high speeds.
The dashboard and the central console are designed to accommodate the 8.4-inch Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC+) display, the driving modes button cluster, the user-friendly, aluminium rotary knob and the air suspension height setup switch.
Styling-wise, its streamlined shape lends to the Levante’s aerodynamic efficiency, which is best in its segment with a Cx coefficient of just 0.31.
