Following the trend of luxury brands releasing SUVs, such as the Porsche Cayenne and the Bentley Bentayga, Maserati has unveiled its first SUV named the Levante.
The Fiat Chrysler Automobiles-owned Maserati, an Italian luxury car manufacturer known for sports cars, revealed the first official pictures of the Levante through a press release, prompted by images of the SUV that were earlier leaked.
The official images confirm the earlier leaks and unveils the Levante in Maserati's own terms, though still ahead of its planned introduction at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show.
Levante keeps design elements associated with the Maserati brand, such as the SUV's aggressive front with tapered headlights, three air vents in the front wings, the trapezoid-shaped C-pillar with the company's logo and the large, frameless door windows.
Maserati added that the Levante will combine the excellent on-road performance of its previous models with top-notch handling and off-roading capabilities. The SUV will also pack features such as electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs, Q4 all-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic transmission across all of its versions.
Possible engine options for the Levante include a turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 and a Ferrari-made 3.8-liter V-8. According to Maserati, a diesel option will be offered, but that model may not be making its way to the United States.
As for what the interiors of the SUV look like, Maserati did not reveal anything, with that component of the Levante possibly being saved for the Geneva Motor Show.
At one point, FCA was planning to manufacture the Levante in a plant in Detroit alongside the Jeep Grand Cherokee. However, executives eventually decided to drop the plan, as it was thought that Maserati vehicles should always be built in Italy. This led to a redesign in the Levante, which caused delays to its unveiling.
The first Levante units are now coming off the assembly line in the Mirafiori plant in Turin in line with the expected launch date of the SUV.
The price of the Levante has not yet been announced, but its availability has been revealed. Interested customers can expect the SUV to hit showrooms in Europe this spring, with North American dealers to have the Levante in stock later in the year.
