Photo: SB-Medien
Ever since the Kubang concept SUV was unveiled back in 2003, word on the street was that the House of the Trident is going to enter this luxury niche of sport utility vehicle in the near future. Then came the Levante follow-up in 2011 and Maserati is no longer hiding its future plans - the consumer-spec Maserati Levante is slated to start production by 2015's end.
Before that, our spy photographs once again spotted a test mule of the thing and my God! Is that a Maserati Ghibli sedan made to the measure of Doctor Frankenstein? Truth be told, this being an early prototype is a tell-tale sign the production-ready Levante will adopt a more consumer-friendly body shell, not the visual atrocity in the gallery below.
Besides from the jacked up suspension, the roof is laden with additional weight which is masked by a thin camouflage blanket. Why so? Well, this type of test basically simulates the taller center of gravity of the production-spec body. In addition to this, the Levante prototype’s underbody features a slightly different mufflers placement compared to the Ghibli Q4 (all-wheel drive), even though the wheelbase appears to be similar to that of the Italian executive saloon.
One notable mention though - voices in the industry hint a detuned version of the Ferrari California T’s 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 will be used for the range-topping Levante. Now that would be sweet!
To be frank, this rumor sort of holds water if you take into consideration there’s a Bentley SUV in the pipeline as well, not to mention the usual array of performance SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo we hipermiled recently. Last but not least, Levante production is expected to be taken care of by the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles NV consortium's Avv. Giovanni Agnelli assembly plant in Grugliasco, Italy.
Besides from the jacked up suspension, the roof is laden with additional weight which is masked by a thin camouflage blanket. Why so? Well, this type of test basically simulates the taller center of gravity of the production-spec body. In addition to this, the Levante prototype’s underbody features a slightly different mufflers placement compared to the Ghibli Q4 (all-wheel drive), even though the wheelbase appears to be similar to that of the Italian executive saloon.
Only the track appears to be bigger, a difference evidenced by the funny-looking fake wheel arches
Engine-wise, the Maserati Levante is a mystery even to this moment, but it’s hardly believable that engine bay is able to accommodate anything larger than the 3.0 twin-turbo V6 petrol and diesel mills that make the Ghibli a very fast and loud machine when you're a lead foot, especially when you consider that shifting duties will be taken care of by an eight-speed automatic transmission developed by ZF.One notable mention though - voices in the industry hint a detuned version of the Ferrari California T’s 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 will be used for the range-topping Levante. Now that would be sweet!
To be frank, this rumor sort of holds water if you take into consideration there’s a Bentley SUV in the pipeline as well, not to mention the usual array of performance SUVs such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo we hipermiled recently. Last but not least, Levante production is expected to be taken care of by the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles NV consortium's Avv. Giovanni Agnelli assembly plant in Grugliasco, Italy.
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