There was a time when the words ‘Maserati’ and ‘hybrid’ would never be mentioned in the same conversation let alone the same press release.
But here we are in 2021 on the verge of mass electrification, and the move is an inevitable one.
The Levante was already a well-balanced all-rounder – and now it even has eco-creds to boot.
Although last year’s Ghibli Hybrid was the first for Maserati, it’s the Levante version which should prove to be the big draw by virtue of its SUV status.
But despite the extra size, you’ll still get zero-60mph in six seconds courtesy of a 330hp engine with 450Nm of torque.
The new model combines a two-litre four-cylinder thermal engine with a 48-volt Hybrid system that allows the driver to recover energy during deceleration and braking.
Green doesn’t usually equate to growl, but fortunately Maserati’s engineers have managed to maintain the brand’s trademark exhaust note.
You’d have to be a Maser expert to notice the subtle blue cobalt styling changes. Assuming you’re not, we’ll point them out for you: the three signature side air intakes; brake callipers; rear-pillar logo; and the embroidered interior stitch work.
Why blue and not green? Well, lightning bolts are more exciting than trees. But also, Maserati explains that it’s a blue “like the sky above Modena, and like the oceanic home of the God Neptune, who lent his Trident to the Maserati brothers.”
We won’t remind Maserati that electricity and water don’t mix so well. But then again, neither does electricity and petrol, but they’ve managed to make that work.
For more information, see houseof.maserati.com
