Maserati Dared Us to Take a 2019 Levante GTS Off-Road, So We Did [Video]

Off-roading likely isn’t the first thing that comes to mind with the 2019 Levante GTS.

Maserati has a name steeped in racing pedigree. From Juan Manuel Fangio in the Maserati 250F Formula One car to a long line of racers, the brand still has a reputation for performance. You get that here with the 2019 Levante GTS, as its 550 horsepower, 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 can punch this crossover to 60 in around 4.0 seconds. Not only that, but it has a top speed of 181 mph. “Maserati” and “off-roading” aren’t two items you find in the same sentence. But, this model is all-wheel drive, and it does have 10.7 inches of ground clearance, thanks to air suspension.

We asked Maserati if we could take the 2019 Levante GTS off-road to see what it could do, and they agreed. In fact, as the car has an off-road button, they were keen on letting us try out the Levante in the dirt. In this video, TFL’s Roman Mica takes to the trails outside Portland, Oregon to see how dirty the Levante can get with massive 20-inch wheels and street-biased tires. Of course, the 2019 Levante GTS is as luxurious as you’d expect from a crossover that costs over $120,000 after fees – but can it perform off-road?

You May Be Surprised…

As Roman finds out in the video above, yes it can. In fact, despite its decidedly un-grippy street tires, Maserati’s crossover performs surprisingly well off-road. The ground clearance helps the car overcome off-road obstacles. The low-hanging front spoiler is really detractor from what is otherwise an impressively capable crossover. Normally, the all-wheel drive system in the 2019 Levante GTS is rear-wheel drive biased, but can distribute 50-60% of the torque to the front wheels when needed.

Stay tuned to TFLcar.com for more videos produced in collaboration with the Automotive Video Association! Subscribe to The Fast Lane Car and TFLnow for our upcoming AVA reviews and AVA awards.