PETALING JAYA: Naza Italia has introduced the 2023 Levante GT Hybrid, which embodies the brand’s most urban, minimal and contemporary spirit.
The 2023 Levante GT Hybrid variant is priced at RM738,000 inclusive of local duties and taxes before customisation options, and insurance.
The price includes three years Standard Warranty coverage with no mileage restriction.
The Levante GT Hybrid comes with the new bonnet Maserati logo that is included in the range from the MC20 onwards, new Trident logos on the C-pillars 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.
Externally, this newly introduced GT trim level is embellished with Full-LED Adaptive Matrix headlights, chrome-plated accents, plus 20-inch alloy wheels.
Completing the look of the interior are 8.4-inch Touchscreen MTC+ with Navigation, leather comfort seats and the Piano Black Trim.
In perfect harmony with its DNA, the Levante GT Hybrid is equipped with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine combined with a 48-volt hybrid system to deliver 330hp and 450Nm of torque.
Offering the same engine excellence and performance as the petrol V6 while reducing consumption, the Levante GT Hybrid that recovers energy during deceleration is even more efficient than the Levante versions fitted with petrol or diesel V6 engines.
Featuring the smoothness of a six-cylinder engine with the low rev counts of a diesel engine that significantly offsets CO2 emissions - 20% lower than petrol according to WLTP data.
The all-wheel drive Levante GT Hybrid gets a maximum speed of 245kph and a 0-100kph sprint is possible in 6 seconds with an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 165hp per litre.
The 48-volt Maserati hybrid system consists of four components: Belt Starter Generator (BSG), battery, e-Booster and a DC converter.
The 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 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.
The Levante GT Hybrid also comes with a “sailing” function to further improve its fuel efficiency and lower emissions.
It also gets an array of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems such as 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.
Naza Italia chief operating officer Farid Sulaiman said the Levante GT Hybrid is instantly recognisable from a distance, thanks to its imposing grille inspired by the sensational Alfieri concept car but also pays homage to historic Maserati cars like the Tipo 60 Birdcage.
He also said 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,” he said.
