In its pursuit of electrification, Maserati has launched the new Levante Hybrid in South Africa to replace the previous entry-level diesel model.
In reality, the Levante Hybrid has been in the country for quite a few months, but Maserati has been struggling to keep units on the floor and had to delay the official launch as the first excited customers took priority.
Finally, a GT-spec model opened up briefly and the marque invited TopAuto to take it out.
Two Personalities
The Maserati Levante Hybrid has two personalities as it changes its demeanour at the push of a button.
It’s tame, if you want it to be, using its electrified underbody and excellent suspension to waft around in comfortable silence with barely a noise intruding from the outside world, except for the occasional burble from the back when you stop at a red light subtly reminding you that it’s no new-energy commuter and still an Italian sports car – or SUV in this case.
This faint rumble was engineered to excite and almost unconsciously your hand taps the Sport button and flicks the soft leather gear lever to the side.
As you do so the tailpipes open, the inputs sharpen up, the air suspension squats, and the Maserati as we know it emerges.
The 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine relies on a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to fill in the torque gaps at the lower end of the rev spectrum, which is noticeable as 90% of its 246kW and 450Nm is already available from 1,750rpm.
There’s a tangible difference between petrol-only and hybrid mode, and if you listen carefully, you can even hear the electric motor at work when the window is open.
It might not be the most powerful Maserati in the world clocking the 0-100km/h sprint in six seconds flat, but this output is fully usable rather than frightening, and it will probably be more than enough for the majority of car owners out there.
Above 4,000rpm was when the Levante was at its most alive, and shifting with the amazing mechanical-feeling paddles made the exhausts pop and spatter like an SUV you won’t think has any electric trickery going on underneath.
The best part, the noises are all-natural thanks to the engineers “tweaking the fluid dynamics of the exhaust and adopting resonators, tuned to deliver the trademark Maserati sound.”
While this is the same drivetrain as in the Ghibli Hybrid, it is configured somewhat uniquely for the Levante and this was most noticeable when it came to fuel consumption.
Admittedly I only had the SUV for a few hours and went out with a mission to properly see what the trident badge is all about. Even so, the Levante still registered a low 6.8l/100km, around 25% lower than what the Ghibli displayed when I had a go in it.
Though luckily the SUV’s handling was on par with its Grand Tourer sibling, and it carved corners more skilfully than most.
As for presence, the curvaceous body and soft lines of the Levante give it an elegant personality that won’t go out of fashion any time soon, but can still fly under the radar.
It doesn’t turn heads like a roaring V8 or a low-riding coupe and it’s not meant to, but when the beautiful grille and sharp headlights catch your eye it’s clear this is not your average SUV.
The cabin also received a healthy dosage of thick black leather with quality stitching in signature hybrid blue, which pairs with a light suede headliner making it an occasion every time you pass through the frameless doors.
It’s the smaller things that really make the interior special, though, like the buttery smooth handles, tridents on the headrests, soft-close doors, analogue clock on the dash reflecting beautifully in the sunlight, thickly padded door panels, and classy yet up-to-date instrument cluster.
The Levante is Maserati’s first SUV and it carries about it an air of exclusivity which is helped by the stylish design and the fact that you’ll rarely see more of its kind on the road, and certainly not multiple in one parking lot.
For R2,088,000 this model presents an entry-point into the Maserati brand which, when considering the competition and the current market conditions, is expensive but not completely outlandish.
You get the heritage, the sound, the rarity, and because it’s a hybrid, you also get to feel a tiny bit better about yourself, even if the battery is only there to enhance the performance.
What’s next for Maserati in South Africa
Maserati South Africa has exciting plans for the next few years, starting with the local debut of the highly-acclaimed MC20 sometime within the next few weeks.
Currently, nine models are confirmed for customers inside our borders and the first one is wrapping up homologation procedures before being delivered to its owner, who does not even know that the car is here yet as it will be a surprise.
The subsidiary is also in constant contact with Maserati HQ in Italy to secure more MC20s due to high demand from local buyers.
The much-anticipated Grecale, Maserati’s second-ever SUV, will also make its South African debut on 10 November, with the first customer units to arrive in December.
March 2023, the MC20 Cielo with a convertible glass roof is planned to land in local showrooms and requests about this model have been equally as frequent as for its coupe brother, said the company.
Finally, before 2025, Maserati will debut a track-only hypercar based on the MC20, currently only known by the codename “Project 24”.
Only 62 examples of this special model will be built and individuals have to apply to buy one and be selected by Maserati for the honour.
The company said there is interest from a couple of South African collectors who are very adamant about bringing over their own Project 24, but it remains to be seen whether they will be among the chosen ones.
Beyond this fans can expect the start of the all-electric Maserati brand, with the first model on the horizon being the GranTurismo Folgore which is currently still in prototype phase.
Maserati Levante Hybrid
Keyword: First drive in the new Maserati Levante Hybrid in South Africa