The new Maserati Levante SUV, Fiat Chrysler's first SUV model, begins production at the automaker's Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy.
The company is preparing to officially unveil the Levante at the upcoming Geneva Auto Show on Tuesday. Aimed to rival the luxury Porsche Cayenne SUV, the Levante is scheduled to hit auto dealing shops in the United States toward the latter part of 2016.
"The Levante is an SUV like no other," says Maserati on its official site.
The design features of the Levante show clear alignment with the Maserati brand while displaying a unique Italian impression. The front part is aggressively designed to showcase new, tapered headlights that contain two distinct elements, giving the upper headlight a more prominent appeal with its attachment to the radiator grille.
Probing further on the sides, there is no doubt that the Levante shows a number of design features that are expected in a typical Maserati. These include the trio of iconic air vents on the SUV's front wings, the C-pillar which is shaped like a trapezoid and contains the "Saetta" logo and the huge non-framed door windows.
Looking at the rear part, the Levante exudes a character that is typically found among high-performing sports cars because of the highly tapered rear window and a shape that has been clearly streamlined.
Maserati says the upcoming Levante SUV will feature both diesel and gasoline engine options which are also Euro6-compliant. The company adds that all models will come equipped with "intelligent" all-wheel drive which allows the vehicle to adjust according to road conditions.
"The new SUV boasts a high level of content as standard, with all versions featuring: sophisticated electronic suspension with controlled damping and air springs, which can be set on several levels, 'Q4' intelligent all-wheel drive and 8-speed automatic transmission specially calibrated for the brand's new SUV," adds Maserati.
Maserati has yet to announce the pricing of the Levante SUV. Originally, the company has planned to launch the vehicle in 2014.
While the Levante is expected to be the headliner at the Geneva Auto Show, analyst Tim Urquhart of IHS Automotive said that two small-sized SUVs may also be a show stealer at the event. One is the subcompact Q2 SUV from Audi while the other is an entrant of Volkswagen to the small SUV designed vehicles, known specifically as SUV B in Europe.
Additionally, car enthusiasts can also look forward to other unveilings set to occur in the auto show. These include the Mercedes-Benz C-Class convertible, the Aston Martin DB11 supercar and the Giulia midsize sedan of Alfa Romeo which will rival the BMW 3 and the Audi A4 series.
