If you think your leaving the Italians out of the German CUV wars: FORGETTABOUTIT
admin Mon, 05 Sep 2016 MACHEENE | Report Abuse If you think your leaving the Italians out of the German CUV wars: FORGETTABOUTIT
We have talked numerous amount of times about the margin gained with a CUV for a car manufacturer, remember when midsized sedans used to be the bread and butter new game new time and by the way gas prices are higher. The italian's are coming full steam ahead with a slew of models that may see the likes of Ferrari and Lamborghini introducing SUV’s. Hold on, are you car journalists or a dreaming ranter, the dream is gone and Tesla is looking at levitating cars sometimes TV becomes reality and these are the times.
So the first release of the Italian onslaught, let’s look at the names that are coming to play:
- Lamborghini Urus
- Ferrari GTC4 Lusso (won’t be released so they say, there hand will be forced)
- Alfa Romeo Stelvi
Last but now released is the Maserati Levante. This new beginning from Maserati that started with a luxurious sedan in the quattroporte and has watered down some of its technology into lesser more high volume models such as the Ghibli and now the Levante. The car game is sometimes like the music game if you have a hit record and don’t want to be a one hit wonder you follow up with a love song, and maybe a happy song to smooth out your raw and sexy baseline. This is like the Happy Song for the Maserati, it’s now a wait & see to discover if the fans appreciate the trilogy. Will this car lay a dent in the European’s (Porshe Cayenne, Mercedes GLE, BMW X5, Audi Q7, Volvo XC90), English (Jaguar F Pace (maybe), Range Rover Sport), and American (Tesla Model X) Brigade. First off though they have different purposes the CUV market is crowded, the luxury Sporty CUV market is getting there but let’s not forget about the not so sporty but selling models such as the
- Cadillac XT5
- Lexus RX350
So is this a gimmick, really it’s not. This car has a dual personality with the availability of torque vectoring for the cornering and the Maserati Stability Program (MSP) it’s developed the behavior of a sport sedan. Guess what don’t be afraid the car can go off road as well don’t believe watch these special things happen on the track than to the dirt. It also helps that Maserati boasts a 50/50 weight distribution. To go off road the character changes through programming we introduce you to it’s 3 off road options
ICE
SPORT
OFF ROAD (Can lift the car up to 40mm higher than in default mode)
So they know what the car is meant for and it performs to the part. The V6 may fit a bit laggy but once up we get the appealing Italian sounds as the baffles gargle for air but with a bit more of muted tone vs its brother the Ghibli. The S model offers all the amenities inside and the latest greatest technology features that accompany new vehicles from adaptive steering, lane departure warning, and parking assist. This has now come as a formality so I won’t highlight these areas. The interior has a bit to be desired some of the materials let’s just say it makes you ask the question did you buy Chrysler”, but it certainly in the game and departs from the normal montage seen by the Germans.
The cue de gras is the handling and the sound the Maserati is up there with the pack, but as for the sounds it’s the HNIC for the entry level models. The perfect feel of the tuned steering, and the roar of the V6 yes that is a V6, make the Levante a new premium player in the CUV market. Welcome to the game with a little to do in the interior to make this a top pick amongst the CUV’s. The one sticky point is you will have to buy these fast, it will not be mass produced like the other players as of yet that is.
