Maserati has made its entry-level V6 petrol engine available in the recently updated Levante SUV and flagship Quattroporte saloon. A new addition for both, the additional powertrain option comes in line with a 2019 model update for the Levante, which has also gained a raft of subtle upgrades, not to mention a further V8 petrol model called the GTS, although it is yet to be confirmed for the UK.
The engine itself is a 3-litre turbocharged V6 producing 345bhp, and already has a home under the bonnet of the smaller Ghibli saloon. Here, it will provide a new entry-point into the respective petrol Levante and Quattroporte ranges, priced around £5k more than the fairly gruff 3-litre V6 turbo diesel models.
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The Levante and Quattroporte will reach 62mph in 5.5sec and 6.0sec respectively, not too bad for something considered to be an entry-level powertrain. There is, however, a caveat to all this, as although the use of petrol engines in larger cars is increasingly common these days, the lowly combined MPG figures quoted are not. No doubt made worse by the new WLTP regulations, they sit at a faintly shocking 23.5mpg for the Levante, and 25.2mpg for the Quattroporte.
The rest of the new Levante range has also received a nip and tuck, benefiting from new LED headlights and fresh wheel designs. The interior has also been upgraded, with a new gear selector, and optional full-grain leathers of the sort usually reserved for Hermes, not Maserati.
Prices start at £61,425 for the Levante and £78,1200 for the Quattroporte, with both models then able to be specified in Gran Sport or Gran Lusso specification, too. Available to order now, both make intriguing alternatives to the German competition.
