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Andrea Matthews25 May 2017
NEWS

Maserati confirms Levante S for Oz

Twin-turbo petrol V6 for Maserati SUV in Australia by year’s end

Maserati Australia has announced it will introduce a Ferrari-built twin-turbocharged V6 petrol engine to its Levante range by the end of this year.

The new Levante S will be the first petrol-engined version of the large SUV to be available locally, where the big Italian crossover wagon was launched earlier this year with a single diesel engine.

The Maranello-sourced 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 generates 316kW and 580Nm and promises to sprint to 100km/h in 5.2 seconds.

It will be paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and will feature a sports exhaust that Maserati says will deliver the authentic drive experience that its customers are demanding.

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The 114kW power increase over the standard Levante’s 202kW 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6 pushes the prestige SUV firmly into performance territory, pitting it against established models including the Porsche Cayenne GTS and Range Rover Sport.

While pricing details are yet to be confirmed, the Levante S is likely to be available in three specification levels and is expected to command a pre-tax price premium of around 30 per cent over the entry-level diesel vehicle.

With prices of current Levante models ranging from $139,990 to $159,990, potential buyers should anticipate a range that starts from around $180,000 plus on-road costs, making the new petrol model more costly than a Porsche Cayenne GTS.

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In addition to the new petrol engine, Levante S models will also benefit from 2018 model year updates which include the addition of electric power steering that enables advanced driver assistance technologies including active lane change, plus active blind spot alert, adaptive cruise control with stop and go function, forward collision warning, traffic sign recognition and autonomous emergency braking.

Speaking at a preview drive event in Dubai, Maserati’s Australian and New Zealand chief Glen Sealey said that while the Levante diesel has done a great job of attracting new customers to the brand, the S would appeal to those customers looking for more performance from their Maserati SUV.

“What we’ve seen with Levante diesel is 95 per cent conquest business. Buyers are stepping out of Porsche Cayenne but we’re also seeing a lot of sedan owners buying their first SUV,” said Sealey.

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Around 50 per cent of Levante’s 196 sales so far this year have gone to female customers, but while Maserati insists the growth in diversity of its customer base has been a huge success for the brand in Australia, it admits the lack of a performance variant has reduced the Levante’s appeal for its traditional buyer groups.

“Our Maserati owners have a perception of what Maserati is … and for them to step into an SUV that bears the Trident, they want that performance and the sound, and that’s what this vehicle will deliver.”

The Maserati Levante S will go on sale in Australia in the fourth quarter of 2017.

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Written byAndrea Matthews
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