Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Cars
  3. News

Maserati’s sports SUV won’t be Jeep-based, but will instead ride on the Ghibli platform

By

The Maserati SUV, the Levante, has been in the works for some time now, and details of the luxury SUV are finally becoming clearer.

The Italian luxury brand had once said that its first-ever SUV would be based upon the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, which, in turn, is based on the last-gen Mercedes-Benz ML-Class. Although a bit confusing to follow, this chassis choice made much sense, as both Maserati and Chrysler are owned by Fiat.

According to MotorTrend, though, the fine folks over at Maserati have instead decided that the Levante will join the Quattroporte/Ghibli platform. While this will make the Maserati SUV far less capable off-road, it also makes it much more sporty. Interesting side note: this ‘Italian’ platform is actually a variant of the old Mercedes-Benz E-Class chassis. So there’s that.

So if not Jeep’s trail-rated capabilities, what will the Italian SUV offer? We suspect that the Levante will include a version of the Q4 all-wheel drive system and Skyhook suspension system shared by both the Quattroporte and the Ghibli. It would also make sense for the SUV to share engine options with the Quattroporte, which is exciting indeed but also a bit complicating.

You see, presently, Maserati only offers all-wheel drive on its V6 models, while the V8s receive rear-wheel drive only. Maserati has stated the option is not offered because of the lack of demand, but that could be different in the SUV market.

While we might have wished for a Maserati capable of rock-crawling, we’re very excited by fact that the Levante will effectively be a sports sedan with extra interior space. And there’s nothing wrong with that.

Topics
Trevor Dermody
Trevor Dermody
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Hyundai believes CarPlay, Android Auto should remain as options
The 6.9-inch Sony digital media receiver installed in the dashboard of a vehicle.

Hyundai must feel good about the U.S. market right now: It just posted "record-breaking" November sales, led by its electric and hybrid vehicles.

It wouldn’t be too far of a stretch for the South Korean automaker to believe it must be doing something right about answering the demands of the market. And at least one recurring feature at Hyundai has been a willingness to keep offering a flexible range of options for drivers.

Read more
When the grid died, these EV owners powered their homes with their cars
ChargePoint Home EV charger plugged into car.

Electric vehicles have many obvious benefits, chief of which is the reduced reliance on fossil fuels. But that's not the only thing EVs are good for. EVs are essentially giant batteries on wheels, which makes them perfect for powering devices, appliances, and even your home.

That's something that many EV owners discovered over the course of one of the worst hurricane seasons on record. To be clear, if you're facing a hurricane, it's vital to follow evacuation orders and make other preparations. But even those who don't need to evacuate might still find themselves without power for a matter of days following a major storm -- and it's becoming increasingly clear that owning an EV can be very helpful for those people.

Read more
Waymo’s robotaxis are rolling into another U.S. city
A Waymo driverless car.

Waymo has been testing its driverless cars in Miami intermittently for the last five years, but now it’s making serious moves to launch a robotaxi service there.

The Alphabet-owned company revealed on Thursday that it’ll start testing its Jaguar I-PACE autonomous cars on the streets of the city early next year, with the aim of launching a robotaxi service for residents and visitors via the Waymo One app in 2026.

Read more