Maserati Levante Review & Prices

It’s small wonder car manufacturers call on heritage to sell cars – the belief that you’re buying into a brand with a solid connection to years of development is a huge draw. Maserati’s origins in building racing cars in the early 1900s have helped shift its models for decades, but its heavy, high-riding Maserati Levante SUV is a trickier sell when it comes to racing pedigree.

No matter. Despite its bulk, the Levante has sold in greater numbers than any other Maserati since its introduction in 2016, piggybacking the UK’s new-found love of stylish SUVs. Of course, it isn’t the only option – the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne Coupe both come with style, luxury and powerful engines.

The Levante is like a Murano glass chandelier; something classically Italian that aims to provide beauty and craftsmanship, rather than the functionality of more simple lighting options. 

And it certainly gives Porsche and Range Rover a run for their money in the looks department. Its gaping, concave grille complete with Maserati trident badge, slim headlights and long bulging bonnet give it immense road presence. But, inside, those other pricy SUVs outclass it. The Levante’s plastics, leathers and switches just aren’t good enough at this price level.

Also less classy is the 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Yes, sat nav, Bluetooth and DAB radio are all standard, but the screen's poor resolution and small, tricky-to-hit buttons frustrate while driving. At least Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are also standard, improving the user experience greatly once you’ve plugged in your smartphone. But overall, the Levante's new little SUV brother, the Maserati Grecale, shows how far things have come since the Levante was launched in 2016.

Space and practicality is a closer-run thing, although if you value space highly, then there are ultimately better SUVs. The Levante is great for a couple of adults in the front and the driver gets loads of electric seat and wheel adjustment, but knee room in the back is nothing more than average, while there are ultimately bigger boots on offer if you’re often cramming yours full of luggage.

There are three powerful engine choices for the Levante – an entry-level 2.0-litre petrol with 330hp, badged as GT Hybrid, a middle Modena that uses a 3.0-litre V6 engine that’s good for 350hp in standard form, or 430hp in the Modena S model, and the 3.8-litre 580hp high-performance V8 engined Trofeo. All models come with all-wheel drive, an eight-speed automatic gearbox and cushioning, adaptive air suspension. There was previously a diesel, but that has been dropped from the range along with the car’s former entry petrol engine in favour of the mild hybrid 330hp engine that is also more efficient than either of the former petrol or diesel options. 

But none are exactly economical, with the GT Hybrid offering an official 27.6mpg, which drops to 22.8mpg for the Modena and just 19.6mpg for the fire-breathing Trofeo. And they’re the official test figures - drive the car as Maserati intended and the reality will be significantly lower. 

All Levantes are comfy over bumps and prove entertaining to drive by the standards of large SUVs, but if any model provides a solid link to Maserati’s racing pedigree, it’s the V8 Trofeo. The Ferrari-derived V8 engine offers up staggering performance and probably the best exhaust note of any SUV on sale, albeit alongside that wallet-bashing fuel use.

The Trofeo is also the most fun of any Levante to drive. Its unique Corsa driving mode sharpens all its controls, turns up that bellowing exhaust and switches off the traction control. Set so, aside from slightly numb steering, the Trofeo feels impressively agile despite its 2.1-tonne weight. Its clever all-wheel-drive system will stubbornly drag you out of corners if needed, or with enough throttle provide sideways action too. All-told, you won’t lap a circuit as quickly as in the Porsche, but you’ll have more fun doing it.

Which leaves price: the Levante is well-equipped as standard but not cheap, especially so fitted with a V8 engine. However, its prices broadly align with alternatives’ and, if anything, the GTS and Trofeo warrant the most attention for providing the most authentic Maserati experience.

If you’ve made up your mind, head to our deals pages for the very best Levante prices, or see the full range of new Maseratis available to lease through carwow. And if the budget won't quite stretch to a new car, we've also got a selection of used Maseratis available through carwow's network of trusted dealers. And when you're ready to take the plunge into your new Maserati, don't forget you can sell your current car through carwow too.

The Levante is either quite good value, or massively over-priced, and it just depends on which angle you’re looking at it from. At the base of the range, the entry-level hybrid-engined Levante GT is considerably more expensive than the basic BMW X5 or X6, and crucially more pricey than the most affordable Porsche Cayenne, which puts it in a very awkward position. 

The same is true in the middle of the range, where the V6-engined Levante Modena is pricier than the likes of the Porsche Cayenne S or Cayenne Coupe S, and that definitely leaves it out on a limb, price-wise, especially when you consider that the Porsche has just been given a major update, making it a much fresher car than the ageing Levante. 

It’s at the top end, with the V8 Trofeo model, that the Levante finally starts to make some economic (if not economical) sense) in that it’s quite a bit more affordable than the likes of the Lamborghini Urus or Bentley Bentayga (to say nothing of Ferrari’s Purosangue or Rolls-Royce’s Cullinan) so you can get all of the bombastic Italian V8 entertainment, but without entirely draining your bank account. 

Surprisingly comfortable around town, and good fun on a twisty road, but let down by over-light steering and annoying driver assistance systems

In town

The Levante is a very comfortable car, and somewhat surprisingly, that’s true of the high-performance Trofeo model as well. All models have a slightly firm, sporty edge to their ride quality even though there’s standard air suspension across the range, but around town you’re not going to find them uncomfortable. The only odd thing is a side-to-side rocking motion at times, especially going over speed bumps. The turning circle is pretty massive, though, so mini-roundabouts are a bit of a nightmare — you’re either going to have to mount a kerb, which removes all of your Driving A Cool Italian Car points, or reverse and go again, which does the same.

The steering is really light, which helps around town when you’re trying to get in and out of tight spaces. The eight-speed automatic gearbox also shifts smoothly, although there’s a slight delay when you use the manual change paddles behind the steering wheel — you’re better off just leaving the ‘box in D and letting it do its own thing.

On the motorway

If you’ve ticked the upgrade box on your Trofeo’s spec sheet, it’ll come with radar-guided cruise control which helps to keep you a safe distance from the car in front. A shame that’s not standard on what’s quite an expensive car, though — Toyota gives you radar cruise for free on a Corolla.

The lane keeping steering system that comes as part of the package does indeed keep you between the white lines, but it does so in a jerky, sudden fashion that’s pretty annoying. Otherwise, the Levante is a good motorway companion, thanks to decent refinement and comfort. Just watch the fuel economy…

On a twisty road

Any car with a Maserati badge is going to be expected to provide big driving thrills, but let’s face it — this is a big, heavy, 2.1-tonne SUV so it can’t be all that good, can it? You get the usual Sport, Comfort, and Normal driving modes but Maserati provides you with a mode above Sport — Corsa (Italian for Race) which really opens up the taps on performance, but which also dials back the safety assistance systems so use it carefully. The all-wheel drive system is biased towards the rear wheels, which makes it all feel sportier, and for a big old thing, the Levante does corner pretty well. The suspension does stiffen up in Corsa mode, but not overly-so, and it’s still capable of dealing with a bumpy road when it’s set up like this. The Trofeo version, with its mighty 3.8-litre turbo V8 engine (basically a Ferrari V8 but don’t tell Ferrari fans…) is the most fun of all to drive on a twisty road, with high performance (0-62mph in 4.1 s) and an invigorating soundtrack, but even the basic 2.0-litre turbo hybrid feels pretty brisk, even if its engine doesn’t — can’t — sound as good as the V8.

The brakes are excellent too, with the Trofeo’s upgraded six-piston front calipers being even better while the limited slip differential at the back makes sure that the tyre which can best handle the available power is the one that gets it. The only problem is the steering — remember we said it was nice and light around town? Well, on a twisty road it doesn’t actually weight up very much, so it’s not talking to you enough and it’s hard to feel what the front wheels are up to, which is a shame. Really, you want the Trofeo version, as the V8 engine is better by itself than the rest of the car. If not, an Audi RS Q8 does the whole job rather better. 

There’s enough space in the Levante’s seats, front and back, and a just-about sufficient boot, but both Porsche and Range Rover show it the way home for practicality

Practicality

It’s an SUV, so of course the Levante is pretty practical, even up front. There’s a huge storage box under the butterfly-lidded front armrest, There are some cupholders under a lid to the left of the gear lever (that lid can be swathed in carbon-fibre if your pockets are deep enough…) while there’s another, storage space under a sliding lid at the bottom of the dashboard. You’ll find USB sockets in there, too. The glovebox is actually quite big, not a common thing these days, and the door bins are a good size. 

Back seats

Space in the back of the Levante is absolutely fine. Legroom is generous enough, but if you’ve gone for the optional glass roof, then head room is affected. Not enough to actually make it cramped, but there is a bit less space. You can option up the back seats with very high quality leather, which makes them look and feel like some really expensive Italian furniture — which is of course pretty much what they are. Space in the middle rear seat isn’t massive, but there’s just about enough width to get someone sitting there, although there is a transmission tunnel to deal with. You only get rear seat climate controls if you’re prepared to pay more than £1,000 extra, though, which seems a bit mean. 

Boot space

580 litres of space isn’t bad for a luxury SUV’s boot, but it’s equally not all that special. A BMW X5, for instance, will swallow 650 litres, while the Range Rover Sport and Porsche Cayenne can stretch to more than 700 litres. The good news is that the Maserati’s boot floor is entirely flat, with no load lip, so whatever you’re trying to carry can be easily slid in and out. The rear seats fold, in 60:40 split ratio, and they do fold properly flat, so you get an uninterrupted load floor all the way. 

There are plenty of beautiful Italian touches of craftsmanship around the cabin, but the infotainment system is dated and there are some lower-quality Fiat-sourced buttons around the cabin

The Levante’s cabin looks a touch old-fashioned but it is well made, with lots of nice materials, especially if you start taking a run through the options list for some of the nicer leather, wood, and carbon-fibre trims. The top-spec Trofeo model gets special front seats which are really lovely, with great support and fantastically soft leather upholstery. 

The dashboard itself looks a little old-fashioned, with its big analogue dials for speed and revs, and a smaller digital display between them, but you could call it a bit of a refreshing change from the wall-to-wall screens of some rivals. There’s a BMW-style rotary controller for the 8.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system, which helps if you’re trying to find menu items without taking your eyes off the road as much, but the whole system feels like — and is — an older generation than that used by the likes of BMW, Mercedes, or Audi (even though it was updated in 2021 and now uses an Android-based system). It’s bit clunky, and finding the right screen for the button you need can be tricky. Thankfully, Maserati has kept proper physical controls for heating and air conditioning, so those are straightforward and easy to use, even if they are a bit buried under the edge of the screen.

Overall comfort is fantastic, but it’s too easy to find too many cast-off Fiat and Jeep switches and buttons around the place — a brand like Maserati deserves bespoke buttons, surely? — but those are balanced out by beautiful touches such as optional carbon-fibre gearshift paddles. It’s a mixed bag, then. Lots of lovely leather, and some properly special bits and pieces, but too much of the Levante’s cabin looks and feels behind the times. Oh, and the key is really chunky and heavy, which does make it feel expensive, but it doesn’t half weigh down the pockets of your designer jeans… 

Even the Hybrid GT version of the Levante, with its mild-hybrid 330hp 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine, isn’t what you’d call economical. The best you’ll get from it is 34mpg, and that’s likely to be sub-30mpg in daily driving conditions. The V6 Modena and Modena S versions return a best of 26-27mpg, and are realistically going to be 20mpg cars if you’re driving them with anything like enthusiasm. The V8 Trofeo? If you’re getting better than 15mpg, you’ll be doing well. 

The basic Hybrid GT model just ducks under the highest VED road tax bracket, meaning you’ll pay £2,220 plus the £390 levy for cars costing more than £40,000 in the first year. The V6s and the V8 Trofeo are all in the top £2,605 bracket, plus levy. BIK rates, if you’re getting one as a company car, vary pretty dramatically. The Hybrid GT will set you back around £480 per month in BIK terms, but a V8 Trofeo will cost you £867 per month. 

The Levante hasn’t been crash-tested by Euro NCAP, so there’s no official safety score, but it does share a lot of its chassis and mechanical bits with the Maserati Ghibli saloon, and that took home a full five stars, with a 95 per cent rating for adult occupant protection. That rating dates back to 2013, though, and it’s unlikely that the Ghibli or the Levante would score maximum points now. The fact that its most advanced driver assistance systems are all on the options list would almost certainly knock a star or two off. 

The Levante gets a three-year, unlimited mileage warranty, which can be optionally extended to five years, and there’s an ‘Extra10’ warranty that covers the engine, gearbox, and driveline for up to ten years. You can get fixed-price servicing and inclusive service packages, but the overall levels of quality, fit, and finish aren’t up to the same standards as the Levante’s German opposition.