Sweet Rides - 2018 Maserati Levante

The name Levante comes from a warm Mediterranean wind that can change from a light breeze to a hurricane within seconds. While the Maserati looks radical for a SUV thanks to its curvy shape, its gargantuan dimensions leave no doubt that it is one.

It’s just over five metres long and has a wheelbase of a tad more than three metres. The width is about two metres and all dimensions put together, give it a fairly imposing stance. Moreover, the Levante rides on 19-inch wheels, shod in fat 265/50 profile tyres (larger sizes are on the options list) and gets electronically controlled air-suspension on all-four corners.

The air-suspension offers five ride modes and in standard setting provides the body a ground clearance of 207mm, which can be raised to 247mm for off-roading, or can be lowered to 162mm in parking mode to make ingress and egress easier.

Under its long hood, the Levante has a 3.0 litre V6 turbo-diesel engine that produces 275hp at 4,000rpm and 600Nm of peak torque between 2,000rpm and 2,600rpm. The motor is mated to an eight-speed torque convertor automatic gearbox with a 4x4 drive system.