Maserati has a new electrified vehicle in its stable, but the Lavante Hybrid isn't a fully electric car, nor does it offer a plug-in hybrid option.
Instead, the SUV sticks with self-charging hybrid technology as Francesco Tonon, Head of Product Planning at Masterati, says "plug-in would have added a lot of weight which would have jeopardized the fun to drive and the driving experience."
The Lavante Hybrid is the second electrified Maserati, arriving after the Ghibli Hybrid, and will be available from June 2021 in Europe.
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Performance over plug-in
The Lavante Hybrid boasts 330hp from its hybrid engine which, Maserati says, reduces the car's CO2 emissions by 18% (versus the diesel model) and 3% (versus the petrol model), is capable of accelerating from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in six seconds, and reaches a top speed of 240 km/h (149 mph).
Inside, the infotainment system centers around an 8.4-inch touchscreen, while a 7.7-inch TFT display sits in the instrument cluster.
It comes equipped with the MIA (Maserati Intelligent Assistant), which sits on top of Google's Android Automotive operating system. There's also support for Amazon Alexa skills, allowing you to control your smart home devices from the car.
With Maserati Connect, the Lavante Hybrid is always-connected to 4G internet, and passengers can harness this connectivity by enabling the car's Wi-Fi Hotspot, allowing you to connect up to eight devices.
You can also download the Maserati Connect app on your smartphone, which allows you to keep in contact with the Lavante Hybrid - and there's even smartwatch integration, allowing you to perform actions such as locking and unlocking the doors directly from your wrist.
There's currently no word on the Maserati Levante Hybrid price, but considering the gasoline version of this luxury SUV starts at $78,290 / £65,065 (around AU$100,000), we expect the hybrid version to cost a similar amount.
