• Not a car for those looking to save cash
• Diesel cheaper for fuel and tax
• Servicing won’t be cheap

The diesel is obviously the best choice here – at least in terms of fuel economy and tax. Its claimed fuel economy of 39.2mpg is impressive considering its performance.

However, the S fares worse – 26.4mpg in laboratory conditions – and also costs more to buy in the first place.

That isn’t the end of the story, though. Diesel is quickly falling out of favour in the UK and resale values will quickly begin to reflect this, meaning an S could make a better buy in the medium-to-long term.

Servicing costs are going to be rather high for either car, and you’ll need to ensure you’re close enough to a Maserati main dealer to get the car there. 

The words ‘sporty’ and ‘4×4’ don’t conjure up ideas of super-low emissions but the diesel Levante puts out 189g/km of CO2. Not likely to impress Greenpeace but fairly reasonable nonetheless.

Forget the petrol V6 S if low CO2 is your aim, because its 249g/km output really isn’t great.

There’s no hybrid in the line-up yet, but this is a possibility further into the future as Maserati simply must lower its overall fleet emissions – and quickly. 

• No major issues reported here
• It’s a car built to exacting standards
• Feels solidly built

No reports of anything untoward here – you should be able to buy with confidence

Other cars by Maserati are built to stringent standards and there’s no reason to think the Levante will be any different. From the cabin the car feels solid and well-made, with no lower-quality plastics to be concerned about.

We haven’t heard of any concerning stories of breakdowns or electronic failures, and many of the mechanical parts are put to use in other Maseratis so can be considered tried-and-tested.

Both engines are sourced from other Italian companies – the diesel by VM Motori and the petrol S by sister firm Ferrari – but once again there doesn’t seem to be much to worry about here based on previous reports. The ZF gearbox is a very well-known and -regarded piece of equipment too.