2017 Maserati Levante Q4 First Test Review: Field of Profits

By Mustaqim Jaed at September 20, 2020 Post a Comment

The iconic one-liner from that sappy 1989 Kevin Costner stinker Field of Dreams is motivating nearly every major name-brand automaker to produce a high-riding two-box vehicle to satisfy the public’s as-yet apparently insatiable appetite for “utility vehicles.” For niche manufacturers, a single new entry can virtually double a brand’s annual sales rate almost overnight. To wit: Jaguar sold 14,466 vehicles in 2015; it moved 31,243 in 2016—and the F-Pace only went on sale in May of that year. Sales of Maserati’s new Levante haven’t taken off quite as quickly, but through August they’re accounting for about 40 percent of the brand’s sales. As usually happens, our first test of a sporting machine like this was of the fire-breather, and that SQ4 variant mostly impressed us. Now it’s time to circle back and assess the relative value (or cynicism) of the mainstream base Q4 model.

To refresh, this one utilizes the same Ferrari-designed and -built F160 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 (using a 60-degree block that is loosely based on Chrysler’s Pentastar V-6). For the Q4 it’s tuned to peak at 345 hp and 369 lb-ft, down from the SQ4’s 424 hp and 428 lb-ft. And in a rare case of things working out the way the math suggests it should, the 19 percent less powerful version is precisely 19 percent slower to 60 mph—5.8 seconds versus the SQ4’s 4.9. That time gap is pretty well maintained through the quarter mile, with the Q4 crossing in 14.2 seconds at 98.2 mph, 0.8 second and 5.1 mph behind the SQ4.

The funny component is, whilst driving the 2 again to again, the power deficit appears much less than it's far?Perhaps due to the fact each variants seem to bellow an equal refrain of baritone sport-mode bluster whilst you?Re at the throttle and percussive snaps, crackles, and pops when you lift off of it. The starker distinction is with the extent of grip generated by way of the Q4?S all-season 265/45R20 Continental CrossContact LX Sport tires compared with the SQ4?S staggered fitment 265/forty front and 295/35 rear 21-inch ContiSport Contact five meats. Stopping distances stretched 14 toes longer (127 as opposed to 113 feet), and max-lateral grip dropped from 0.86 to 0.82 g.

That doesn’t look like much, but on a tight, twisting road the Q4 is all tire squeal and hyperactive stability-control intervention while the SQ4 quietly drifts through the bends at a much swifter pace. A humbling anecdote: At one point during our drive the Q4 was only just keeping pace with a lowly Subaru Crosstrek, howling its tires and brake-pulsing its various corners to keep up with the much less dramatic Subie. This issue can likely be cured by opting for the $2,980 optional 265/40R21 summer tires (plus a set of winter footwear if you don’t live in the “smile states”). Of course, doing so will further compromise the ride quality, which is actually best on the base 19-inch tires, but it’s still quite supple on the squishy 20s. One final handling note: the sublimely communicative hydraulic steering assist is an increasingly rare treat, as road test editor Chris Walton noted: “The hydraulic assist offers a glimpse of how steering feel really can inform the driver about tire/contact patch grip info with weightiness/lightness.”

So how does the Levante Q4 compare with its competitors? It should be able to outrun a similarly priced and optioned Land Rover Range Rover Sport HSE with the supercharged V-6 and Dynamic package. A Porsche Cayenne S Hybrid will likely be a tad quicker to 60 mph and through the corners but a bit slower through the quarter mile. Of course, you can easily spend less and go faster in the aforementioned Jaguar F-Pace 35t, a Mercedes GLE43 AMG, or—of course—sibling Jeep’s Grand Cherokee SRT. And we’re in for a really serious sibling rivalry when the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio arrives.

We took the time to do a little moderate off-roading within the Q4 and had been in large part inspired at the move-pollination of Jeep DNA that obvious in this Ghibli/Quattroporte-primarily based architecture. An Off-avenue mode increases the suspension and routes extra torque to the the front axle, there?S a hill-descent manage function, and the traction control can be disabled to permit rally-style drifting while hen-tailing sand. And although the mud-n-snow tires lacked grip on dry tarmac, they dug into the sand and dirt remarkably nicely.

Sure, we are a little disappointed by the amount of recognizable Chrysler switchgear we see in the cockpit, we hate the vague electronic shifter, we’re mystified by the decision to locate the ignition switch on the left side of the steering column, and we’d eagerly trade the sometimes flatulent V-6 engine note for a vintage Maserati’s naturally aspirated straight-six or V-8 roar. But by and large the Levante seems an appropriate heir to the grand touring mission for which classic Trident-bearers like the 3500GT, Mistral, and Ghibli were created. And if selling a pile of these things helps bring gorgeous coupes such as the Alfieri concept to market, then we sincerely hope “they come” in numbers similar to what Jaguar has been enjoying.

Because the check floor we used for this overview is a mere month antique (and nevertheless curing), our braking and managing results show longer preventing distances and less grip than we generally record and report. With that during mind, this car?S numbers aren't necessarily comparable with preceding or destiny take a look at consequences.