Maserati Levante vs Mazda CX-30
What's the difference?

Maserati Levante

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2021 price

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Mazda CX-30

$22,850 - $41,950

2024 price

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Summary

2021 Maserati Levante

2024 Mazda CX-30

By Stephen Corby

By James Cleary

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Twin Turbo V8, 3.8L

Inline 4, 2.5L

Fuel Type

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

0.0L/100km (combined)

6.6L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

That engine
Surprisingly capable on track
Rear-biased AWD

Value
Practicality
Safety

Dislikes

Not the prettiest Maserati
Seems strange to want to track one
Expensive

Dated interior
Fuel efficiency could be better
Bit noisy

2021 Maserati Levante Summary

Driving a whopping great SUV down the straight on a race track at more than 200km/h sounds like fun, but it actually feels a bit wrong, like entering a baby elephant in a dog show.

These are strange times, of course, and the Maserati Trofeo Levante is a suitably strange vehicle - stylish, classy, expensively appointed family hauler that also has the heart and soul of a race car.

Indeed, while performance SUVs are an increasingly commonplace vehicle, the Levante - which was actually getting along in the tooth as a model before this significant upgrade - has higher performance credibility than most.

That's because it has a big Ferrari V8 driving all four of its wheels and delivering a properly supercar-like 433kW and 730Nm.

It's not what you might call a typical Maserati buyer's car, but then only those who know what the Trofeo badge stands for - shouty insanity, basically - will be interested in this end of town. It is a lot of car, but is it worth the large load of money on the sticker ($330,000)?

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2024 Mazda CX-30 Summary

If you’re in the market for a city- and family-friendly compact SUV, you’re in luck.

The small SUV segment is one of the most heavily populated and hotly contested in the Aussie new-car market and the Mazda CX-30 G25 GT SP FWD is pitched against a seething pack of at least 10 similarly sized, generously specified and highly-credentialed competitors.

So, stay with us on a mission to determine whether this high-end version of one of Mazda’s best sellers is worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Maserati Levante 2024 Mazda CX-30

Verdict

Maseratis are built for a fairly specific niche buyer; someone with a lot of money, someone slightly older and certainly someone who likes the finer things in life and appreciates Italian style, quality and heritage.

They are not, typically, the kind of buyers who want to tear around race tracks like fiends in big, shouty SUVs. But apparently there is a niche within the niche of Maserati fans who do, and they are willing to invest big dollars in vehicles wearing the Trofeo badge, like this Levante.

It might seem a slightly strange creation, a track-mad SUV with a screaming Ferrari engine, but surprisingly, it really does work.

Verdict

About to enter its fifth year in market the Mazda CX-30 is holding up well and this GT SP FWD grade delivers solid value relative to its key competitors, of which there are many. It’s also space-efficient, practical and performs well with top-shelf safety, decent refinement and good dynamic ability.

Alternately, it’s crying out for a hybrid powertrain to improve fuel efficiency, the interior form and function is starting to date and while it meets the market the ownership promise could be sharper. But this little SUV is still worthy of a spot on your new-car short list.

Maserati Levante vs Mazda CX-30 What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Maserati Levante vs Mazda CX-30
What's the difference?