Maserati has been taking a more drastic approach to the electrification of its brand than most other car manufacturers. This is down to its axing of the Ghibli, the re-launch of the upcoming fully-electric GranTurismo, and the next-gen Quattroporte, which will be a sedan but fully electric and in a different class. The electric luxury SUV segment is where the real money is nowadays though, which leads us to the Maserati Levante. The current generation launched in 2016 and has never been at the top of sales charts against its competition, but Maserati thinks at least one aspect that could change that is a lot of electric power.
The Levante EV Will Be A Collection Of Maserati and Stellantis Parts
Like pretty much every other car Maserati is going to be making in the near future, the next Levante will get the Folgore treatment, meaning probably three electric motors and a total output nearing 740-750 horsepower. The next-gen Levante will be electric only from launch and will probably end up as the SUV big brother to the Quattroporte (which will also be an EV only upon its arrival). Also, expect multiple power levels to be on sale as only selling a 750-horsepower SUV would probably be too extreme and expensive to sell enough units. The platform the next Levante will ride on is an adapted version of Alfa Romeo's Giorgio platform, which is also shared with the Grecale and GranTurismo.
In an interview with Autocar, Maserati CEO Davide Grasso suggested that the automaker's plan is to capitalize on the easily achievable synergies between Stellantis' 14 brands, but Maserati will make innovation "one of the first priorities." However, the Levante probably be the last model in Maserati's lineup to get the full EV treatment, after the Grecale, GranTurismo, GranCabrio, MC20, and next-gen Quattroporte because several of those models have already been announced and are in the works. Meanwhile, the Levante is one of the best-selling models Maserati makes at the moment, and it has another year or two before it becomes in need of a makeover.
Stiff Competition Awaits The Upcoming Maserati Levante
Focusing on pushing the boundaries and making cars that bring something new is something that Maserati can finally do since it is now part of the massive Stallantis conglomerate. Up until recently, Maserati was making some of the coolest yet overwhelmingly outdated models on sale. Now with an influx of cash and a massive internal movement that is too far underway to stop now, Maserati could be on a massive upswing. But the competition will not be easy to overcome.
The BMW iX, Audi Q8 e-Tron, Mercedes EQS, and Lotus Eletre will be the main competition faced by the Levante. The battle with the Eletre will mostly come down to which is the best to drive, and since the Eletre is from Lotus, it won't be easy for Maserati to take the win. Proving superiority over the Germans will be even tougher still, partly because they all have a head start. The Mercedes EQS SUV is already on sale, BMW is set to start delivering the iX in March, and the Q8 e-Tron is set to go on sale in mid-2023. In comparison, the electric Levante's launch is suspected to happen in mid-2025. Also, there is the massive gap in brand notoriety between Maserati and the three German marquees. However, if Maserati is going to have a comeback, it will be, at least in part, thanks to the EV Levante.