2016 Maserati Levante - Ferrari V6 on course for UK market

It comes with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, four-wheel drive and air suspension as standard.

Inside, all models seat five and have a 580-litre boot. All versions get leather seats, an 8.4in touchscreen infotainment system, cruise control, hill descent control, climate control, 18in alloy wheels and an electrically operated tailgate.

One notable piece of optional equipment is a tow bar, the first time Maserati has ever offered this item on its options list. The Levante will have a maximum towing capacity of 2700kg.

Official pricing has not been announced but we expect the Levante to cost from around £60,000 when it arrives in the UK towards the end of the year. In Switzerland, one of the first markets to get the Levante, prices start at £54,121.

Speaking to Autocar at the Geneva motor show, Maserati's European manager Giulio Pastore said: “Is it our most important car ever? If you talk about volumes, then yes. With this car we can cover off 50% of the luxury segment. The rest of our range together covers off the other 50%."

When asked if the new Levante would be as good to drive as Porshe’s Macan, judged as being one of the best-handing SUVs on sale, Pastore said: “I have driven the Porsche Macan, and it is a very good car. I’ll ask you the same question about us when you have driven the Levante.

“Vehicle dynamics are one of the key parts of our DNA. We want to give the same on-road ability as our sporty saloons. We also have the same off-road ability as the BMW X5 and Porsche Cayenne. We have this thanks to a combination of two things: air suspension and continuously variable damping.

“To drive it feels like a true Maserati. Everything is optimised for the dynamics. This will maintain our DNA.

“Style is still the first reason to buy a Maserati. The second is the sound quality, and this sounds as good as our saloons with diesel or petrol. Then it’s vehicle dynamics and the pleasure to drive.

“Roominess in the back is the same as the Porsche Cayenne and the boot is the same as the BMW X6. But we have more space than the X6 in the back. In terms of the concept, this is the same as the X6. But it is a functional car still.

“The volumes will come from the diesel models, as much as 95% in the UK. [As for bigger petrol engines], we will see how we go and the market develops. The Quattroporte is our V8 model, but the Levante will develop over its eight-year life.”

Maserati expects that one in four Levantes in Europe will be sold in the UK. The brand's dealer network in Europe will expand to 180 by the end of 2017, up from 146 at the end of last year.