LIFE & CULTURE

Is this the most luxurious SUV?

Maserati Levante S GranSport, pure luxury combined with a revving performance engine

Here we have an SUV and a sports car … together in one! It’s like the car gods have answered our prayers because everyone wants an SUV these days, even luxury sportscar lovers.

The Levante is a beautiful looking car. Maserati has managed to transcend the boxiness of the SUV and imbue traditional Italian style into an SUV’s body, with lush curves that are almost Rubenesque. It’s a big car but is still elegant.

The interiors are just as good. The Gransport I drove was dual toned in brown and black leather, which looked super luxe and felt incredible. The seats are made from smooth, quality leather and feel wonderful to sit on, as is the steering wheel which is beautiful to hold under the hands. The speedo is old-school retro which reminds you of Maserati’s sportscar heritage and makes you feel like you’re driving on a windy road along the Italian Riviera.

It felt good to drive but I did feel quite conspicuous driving it. It’s not just a Maserati, it’s a giant Maserati. The size made parking quite tricky and in the end, I found myself choosing spaces where I knew it would fit. Parallel parking wasn’t an issue, it was more parking at shopping centres in between two cars that I had trouble with because of the sheer bulk of it.

Still, it was a fabulous car to drive for a week. There’s an 8.2inch multimedia touchscreen with digital radio and also Apple Carplay and Android Auto, which means you just plug in your phone to one of the USB sockets and you’re instantly connected to your main apps including maps and Spotify. Easy. It doesn’t look as advanced as some other cars but I think that’s more to do with the layout of the screen than the actual technology, because it works really well.

For the full review, watch the video or click here.

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