Maserati Levante review: the Cayenne alternative for people who don't want a Cayenne
3.1/5motorssouq Editorial Team
The Levante is not the practical, sensible choice against a Cayenne or an X5, and it was never trying to be. What it offers instead is a genuinely good-sounding V6, air suspension that rides better than its German rivals on Bahrain's patched tarmac, and standard all-wheel drive that actually helps on sand runs most owners will never attempt. Buy a well-serviced Modena from a single owner, avoid anything with a patchy history, and budget realistically for a specialist workshop rather than the nearest quick-lube — that is the difference between a Levante that stays fun and one that becomes a liability.
Pros
- Best-sounding V6 in this class of SUV, no exception
- Air suspension and standard Q4 all-wheel drive ride and handle better than a base Cayenne
- Usable on sand tracks, not just tarmac, unlike the Ghibli
- Resale collapse means real presence for used-SUV money
Cons
- Early production years carry a real reputation for electrical faults and unreliable air suspension
- Official service network in Bahrain is far thinner than Cayenne or X5 owners get
- Air suspension and electronic module repairs are expensive when they do fail
- Pre-2019 cars need a specialist pre-purchase inspection, no exceptions
Maserati came to the SUV party late and built the Levante on a stretched Ghibli platform rather than a clean-sheet design, which shows in how it drives more than in how it looks. The 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 in Modena tune is the sweet spot of the range: enough performance to matter, without the running costs of the V8 Trofeo grade that followed it. Standard Q4 all-wheel drive and air suspension are genuine advantages over a base Cayenne, which charges extra for both.
On the road and in the sand
Where the Levante earns its badge is body control through Bahrain's roundabouts and the causeway on-ramps — the air suspension keeps it flatter than the ride height suggests it should, and the V6 soundtrack is the best reason to choose it over a diesel-era Cayenne. Unlike the on-road-only Ghibli, the Levante's Q4 system and reasonable ground clearance make it genuinely usable on the softer sand tracks south of Sakhir, though nobody is cross-shopping it against a Patrol for that purpose.
The ownership reality
The first two production years earned the Levante a real reputation for electrical faults — infotainment freezes, air suspension warning lights, sensor glitches — that later cars mostly resolved but that still shape resale today. A pre-2019 Levante needs a specialist pre-purchase inspection, no exceptions. Bahrain's independent Maserati and Ferrari specialists can service the V6 and the ZF gearbox competently, but air suspension components and electronic modules are the parts that turn a routine visit into an expensive one.
Resale has fallen hard enough that a five-year-old Levante now competes on price with a much newer mainstream SUV, which is exactly the trade real buyers are making: less warranty security, more presence in the Adliya valet line.