Maserati Levante SUV previewed in patent drawings

Maserati Levante SUV previewed in patent drawingsImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comImage Credit: AutoGuide.comMore PhotosMaserati Levante: Winter Testing Spy Shots50,000th Maserati at GrugliascoMaserati Alfieri Concept at 2014 LA Auto ShowMaserati Levante: Spy ShotsMaserati Alfieri Concept: Monterey 2014Maserati 8CTF Boyle Special returns to IndyNoah Joseph

Maserati is set to become the next high-end automaker to get into the crossover game with the impending launch of the Levante, and this could be our best look at it yet.

Revealed in drawings reportedly filed with the patent and trademark office in Australia, these line drawings give us an idea of what to expect from the design of the Trident marque's upcoming crossover. The styling looks fairly consistent with what we've come to expect from the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans, only in a higher-roofed, liftback form. Evident in the design are the Modenese automaker's grille and lighting forms, its signature portal vents along the front fender, powerful rear haunches and a steeply raked tailgate.

Previewed by the Kubang concepts of 2003 and 2011, the Levante will be a vital product for Maserati's expansion – just as the Bentayga will be for Bentley, the F-Pace for Jaguar, the DBX for Aston Martin and the Urus (if ever approved) for Lamborghini. Expect it to pack the same V6, V8 and diesel engines as the aforementioned existing sedans when it debuts sometime soon into the new year ahead.

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Report: Maserati Levante SUV coming to 2016 Detroit auto show

Premium five-seater will go on sale next spring, target Porsche Panamera and Range Rover Sport

The Maserati Levante SUV will make its debut at the 2016 Detroit auto show next January, Autovisie reports. The brand's first SUV has been a long time in the making -- the first concepts debuted all the way back in 2003. The actual production version of the five-seat SUV will be based on the exterior design themes introduced by the Maserati Kubang concept, with the vehicle aiming for the Porsche Cayenne, Range Rover Sport, Bentley Bentayga and Porsche Macan.

The Levante will reportedly use a modified version of the platform used by the Quattroporte and the Ghibli cars, and will have a varied lineup of engines, at least in global markets. The base gasoline engine will likely be the 3.0-liter V6 found in the Ghibli, though a diesel V6 is also expected to be on the menu when the SUV goes on sale. Autovisie expects yet another 3.0-liter gasoline V6 to be offered in the Levante, but with a higher horsepower output. The range-topping engine choice is expected to be a 3.8-liter V8 borrowed from the California T -- that's where we'll see the benefit of Maserati's access to the Ferrari parts catalog.

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Production of the Levante will reportedly start in March 2016, with the SUV going on sale shortly thereafter as a 2017 model. Pricing is expected to start at the $100,000 mark for the base models and to extend all the way up to $230,000 for the hotter models, according to Autovisie; predicting how that may translate to U.S.-market prices is somewhat tricky.

The Levante will have plenty of company when it goes on sale, as the Bentayga will already be on sale by that time. Your move, Lamborghini.

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