Naza Italia Presents the 2023 Maserati Levante GT Hybrid

Naza Italia has introduced the 2023 Levante GT Hybrid for the Malaysian market today. The Italian luxury SUV is Maserati's most urban, minimal and contemporary styled SUVwith variant specific trimming.  The GT hybrid trims have been developed not only to meet all customers’ requirements and expectations, but also to epitomise the various over-arching themes of the Maserati range which must highlight innovation, performance and design. This is the result of the synergy between the Centro Stile Maserati and the Product Development Team, focusing on research into materials, design cues and dedicated features. All of this comes at a price of RM738,000.00 including local duties and taxes, but before customization options, and insurance.

According to Mr. Farid Sulaiman, Chief Operating Officer, Naza Italia the Levante GT Hybrid's  GT hybrid trim features the new Maserati logo on the bonnet (included in the range from the MC20 onwards), new Trident logo on the C-pillar and refreshed lettering on the rear. There is also a specific trim level badge bearing the wording “GT” on the sides, just above the three iconic air intakes

The design concept of the Levante SUV combines coupé lines with interior space for five people yet still having aerodynamic efficiency. The Maserati of SUVs” is instantly recognisable from a distance due to Maserati having honed its looks over the decades. Its imposing grille is inspired by the  Alfieri concept car and also pays homage to historic Maserati cars like the Tipo 60 Birdcage. The Levante has sported this look since its Model Year 2021, so it isn't something new to 2023 though.

Externally, this trim level is embellished with Full-LED Adaptive Matrix headlights, chrome-plated accents, plus 20” alloy wheels. Completing the look of the interior are 8.4” Touchscreen MTC+ with Navigation, leather comfort seats and the Piano Black Trim.

The newly introduced trim level of the GT hybrid is equipped with a four-cylinder 330-hp Mild Hybrid engine.Levante GT Hybrid pairs the two-litre four-cylinder internal combustion engine with a 48-volt Hybrid system that can recover energy when decelerating to brake. In perfect harmony with its DNA, Maserati has selected a hybrid solution that aims to maintain performance, whilst reducing consumption simultaneously. 

The result achieved is outstanding: improved performance and lower consumption. The same engine excellence and performance as the petrol V6 is maintained while consumption is reduced, making the Levante GT Hybrid even more efficient than the Levante versions fitted with either a petrol or diesel V6engine.

 Another good point is that you should only be paying 2.0liter road tax here in Malaysia, which is actually very affordable compared to anything over 3.0liters. 

Levante GT Hybrid offers drivers a car that is fun to drive, with the sound of a true Maserati. It combines the smoothness of a six-cylinder engine with the low rev counts of a diesel engine that significantly offsets CO 2 emissions: 20% lower than petrol according to WLTP data.

The 48-volt Maserati hybrid system consists of four components: BSG, battery, e-Booster and a DC/DC converter.

The Belt Starter Generator (BSG) acts as an alternator, recovering energy when braking and decelerating, and charging the battery located in the boot, which in turn powers the e-Booster fitted to the engine.

The purpose of including an electric compressor in the car is to support and work in conjunction with the conventional turbocharger, assisting the engine to deliver power at low rev counts. The operating strategy of the hybrid system always keeps the e-Booster available if needed, using the battery or BSG.

The entire Levante GT Hybrid is designed in search of the best performance. The pairing of BSG and e -Booster gives a further boost even when the engine is running at full capacity in Sport mode, when all the benefits of performance can be fully exploited. In Normal mode, it is used to balance consumption and performance.

The hybrid car weighs less than its counterpart with a six-cylinder engine, but most of all it has an improved weight distribution, thanks to the engine being at the front and the battery in the rear. Even so, the load capacity is not compromised and the vehicle’s weight is optimally balanced. Together with the compact hybrid system, the lighter engine weighs 20 kg less than the version fitted with the 350-hp V6, and 115 kg less than the diesel, which also improves the 50:50 weight distribution. All this makes the Levante GT

The four-cylinder, two-litre engine is the result of in-depth engineering work conducted at the Maserati Innovation Lab in Modena on the internal mechanical components, to achieve higher torque and power from the turbocharger and e-Booster. The engine electronics have also changed completely, switching to one of the latest Bosch control units. The engine is produced at Termoli.

Courtesy of the 330 hp and the peak torque of 450 Nm @ 2,250 rpm – more than 90% of which can be achieved from 1,750 rpm, the performance of the Levante GT Hybrid, which still comes with all- wheel drive, are vitally important: maximum speed of 245 km/h, 0 to 100 km/h possible in 6 seconds, impressive power-to-weight ratio with 165 hp/L. Most of all, it clocks up the advantage of significantly lower gCO 2 /km emissions, in the WLTP cycle now between 220 and 243 gCO 2 /km with savings on fuel consumption of over 20% compared to the 350-hp V6 version whilst maintaining the same level ofperformance.

Thanks to the “sailing” function, the Levante GT Hybrid improves its efficiency in terms of emissions and fuel consumption. This result is made possible by the system that disconnects the gearbox when decelerating, available in the “Increased Control and Efficiency” drive mode. In layman's terms, this means more of a coasting mode or cruising mode if you need some simpler explanation to the mode.

Ensuring a safer driving experience, the Levante GT Hybrid offers an incredibly vast array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems to actively respond to the road’s most potential hazards and enhance driver’s comfort and safety. The ADAS features that are available in the Levante GT Hybrid are Adaptive Cruise Control with Stop & Go, Surround View Camera, Active Blind Spot Assist, Highway Assist, Lane Keeping Assist, Traffic Sign Recognition, Forward Collision Warning Plus and Hill Descent Control. This high-powered luxury will be met with greater-than-ever safety on the road.

Mr Farid from Naza Italia also added about the noise the Levante Hybrid makes,  “The Levante GT Hybrid remains the “Maserati of SUVs” through and through, including its sound that retains the usual characteristics of any other Trident-brand car, despite being a hybrid. The sound is achieved with no use of amplifiers, solely by acting on the fluid dynamics of the exhausts and using resonators, tuned to produce that characteristic sound. From the moment you get into a hybrid Maserati onwards, you still hear the unmistakable sound of a Maserati engine.”

So no piped artificial sound here. A very good thing at an age where nearly everything that sounds like an engine is actually pumped through the car's speakers.

The 2023 Levante GT Hybrid is priced at RM738,000.00 including local duties and taxes, but before customization options, and insurance. The price includes 3 years Standard Warranty coverage with no mileage restriction.

LEVANTE GT HYBRID TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS & PHOTOS

ENGINE

Engine layout L4 Mild Hybrid with e-Booster and 48V BSG

Displacement (cc) 1.995

Bore x stroke (mm) 84 x 90

Compression ratio 9.5:1

Maximum power (hp @ rpm) 330 @ 5,750

Peak torque (Nm @ rpm) 450 @ 2.250

Fuel injection Direct Injection (GDI)

Injection pressure (bar) 200

Induction One mono-scroll turbocharger One 48V e-Booster

Crankshaft Forged steel

Lubrication Variable displacement oil pump

Timing system One chain-driven overhead camshaft with Multiair

PERFORMANCE

0-100 km/h (sec) 6.0

Top speed (km/h) 245

Braking distance, 100-0 km/h (m) 36

FUEL CONSUMPTION AND CO 2 EMISSIONS

WLTP combined cycle (L/100 km) 9.7–10.7

WLTP combined cycle (g/km) 220–243

TRANSMISSION

Gearbox ZF eight-speed automatic

Gear ratios: 1a: 5; 2a: 3.2; 3a: 2.14; 4a: 1.72; 5a: 1.31; 6a: 1.00; 7a: 0.82; 8a: 0.64;

reverse: 3.46; final: 3.27

Transmission Q4 Intelligent all-wheel drive with rear Limited-slip Differential

SUSPENSION

Front Double-wishbone, adjustable air springs, Skyhook shock absorbers

Rear Five-arm Multilink, adjustable air springs, Skyhook shock absorbers

BRAKES

Front 345 x 32 mm ventilated discs, 2-piston floating calipers

Rear 330 x 22 mm ventilated discs, single-piston floating calipers

DIMENSIONS AND WEIGHT

Front/rear tyres 265/50 R19

L x D x H (mm) 5,005 x 1,981 x 1,693

Wheelbase (mm) 3,004

Front/rear track (mm) 1,631 / 1,662

Load capacity (L) 580

Fuel tank capacity (L) 80

Homologated weight (kg) 2,090

It you're interested in Maserati here in Malaysia, contact Naza Italia showroom at 03 7956 8599 in Petaling Jaya, Selangor should you be interested in the 2023 Levante GT Hybrid. Follow www.facebook/maserati.malaysia (Facebook) and @maserati.malaysia (Instagram) for the brand’s latest updates in Malaysia.