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Spyshots: 2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing

These are the latest spyshots of Maserati's first SUV. While it might seem to be late to jump on this bandwagon, the company has been meaning to make a 4x4 since the 2003 Kubang Concept.
2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing 29 photos
Photo: CarPix
2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing2017 Maserati Levante Undergoes Nurburgring Testing
Most of the earlier shots of the Levante showed a test mule version that featured a Ghibli body on stilts. This time, we have the real production body, albeit still heavily obscured by camouflage. During road testing, the Levante was seen wearing a second layer of camouflage held together with zippers.

If there is one positive thing about the test mule, it’s the fact that it proves Maserati really is basing the Levante on its own platform. Earlier reports claimed a Jeep Grand Cherokee would act as the donor car, which kind of muffled all our excitement.

But now we know for sure that the Levante will be every bit as crazy as the other cars wearing the trident logo, and we mean that in the most respectful way possible. You see, the Italians are using engines tuned by Ferrari, resulting in a much throatier exhaust note than their German counterparts.

The Levante’s platform is a modified version of the rear-wheel-drive architecture used by its sedan siblings, complete with the Q4 all-wheel drive system. As for the powertrains, expect the same twin-turbocharged 3-liter V6 and 3.8 liter V8. The most powerful model, presumably badged GTS, will pack 560+ horsepower, making it a true rival for the BMW X5 M and Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S.

According to the Maserati 5-year plan, three available diesel engines, with 250, 275 and 340 PS should prove very popular in Europe. More recently, Maserati CEO Harald Wester also confirmed that a plug-in hybrid variant would be available, but it probably wouldn't come until 2018.

In terms of styling, expect to see a redo of the 2011 Kubang Concept that made its debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. However, you shouldn't expect an exact carbon copy, as the latest leaked patent images hint at a wagon-ish body.
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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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