Maserati Levante vs Mercedes-Benz Esprinter

What's the difference?

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.

With the convenience of back-to-base charging the eSprinter would be well suited to last-mile logistics or other urban delivery roles, as its driving range is ample for many of these urban tasks with the added benefit of zero tailpipe emissions. However, at more than $100K it is a big spend (like its full-electric rivals) so only a thorough cost-benefit analysis can decide if it’s the right choice for your business.

While the other two Maseratis to get the Trofeo treatment - the Ghibli and Quattroporte sedans - are undeniably lovely, the Levante is not quite as pretty.

Admittedly, for an SUV, it looks very good, and the Trofeo touches - that big, nostrilled bonnet, the red gills on the sides, the carbon, the badges - really do lift its game to another level.

Overall, though, the Levante has just never felt beautiful enough to me to be a Maserati. These guys really do style well, as you'd expect from a premium Italian brand, but making an SUV sexy is beyond even them.

I'll grant you, it does look good from front on, but at the rear they just seem to have run out of ideas.

Credit is due for feeling properly special inside, however.

This is a substantial vehicle riding on a 3665mm wheelbase and spanning almost 6.0 metres in length (5932mm) and more than 2.0 metres in width (2020mm without mirrors), yet it has a tight kerb-to-kerb turning circle of only 12.4 metres.

And with the optional High Roof as fitted to our example it stands almost 3.0 metres tall (2867mm), so drivers need to be conscious of this extra dimension when accessing underground loading zones, driving under height-restricted bridges etc.

Its rear-wheel drive unitary chassis features simple and rugged McPherson strut front suspension paired with a De Dion-style rigid beam/leaf spring rear axle, along with four-wheel disc brakes and electrically assisted power steering.

There’s prominent use of unpainted dark grey plastic in external areas where bumps, scrapes and wear are usually inflicted, including the grille, front bumper, hubcaps, doorhandles, door mirror shells, side bump-strips and rear bumper.

The cabin design is spacious, neat and functional, with unique instrumentation which replaces the traditional tachometer with a gauge that monitors driving efficiency. There’s also a digital info screen that displays average energy consumption, battery charge, estimated driving range, gear selection and more.

If you've got to move five people in a genuine hurry, the Levante is a pleasant way to go about it.

There's plenty of head and shoulder room, the seats, while firm in the front, are pleasant to the touch and supportive and there's a 580-litre boot with an electric tailgate and split-folding seats.

The boot feels properly spacious, too, with a 12-volt power outlet and four tie-down points. You won't, however, find a spare wheel out there, so serious off-roading is out (although it probably was already if you look at those expensive wheels).

There are huge door pockets with room for bottles and two big cup holders in the front. The centre-console bin looks lovely, it's all carbon fibre, but is quite small.

There are also three USB points, one in the front and two in the rear, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

With its hefty 2727kg kerb weight (largely due to the battery) and 4250kg GVM, the eSprinter has a sizeable 1523kg payload rating. It’s also rated to tow up to 2000kg of braked trailer but with its 5000kg GCM (or how much it can carry and tow at the same time) that big payload must shrink to only 273kg to legally tow its maximum trailer weight.

That’s only enough payload capacity to cater for the weight of a two-man crew and little more so it’s important to be aware of these numbers if you’re planning to tow this heavy (although we suspect few if any owners would do so).

The cargo bay with the High Roof option is enormous, with 2009mm from floor to roof allowing even tall people to stand without stooping. Its load volume is a cavernous 10.5 cubic metres.

The load floor, which is protected by a hard non-slip surface, is 3375mm long and 1732mm wide with 1350mm between the rear-wheel housings. This allow up to two Aussie pallets or up to four Euro pallets to be carried, secured using a choice of 10 load anchorage points which fold flush with the floor when not in use.

Cargo bay access is through a sliding kerbside door with a big 1260mm-wide opening and a pair of rear barn doors which can open to a full 270 degrees on each side to optimise access to forklifts and loading docks.

The walls and sliding door are neatly lined to roof height and large handles inside both door openings assist access. There’s also bright LED lighting plus handy storage pockets in each rear door.

Its spacious cabin provides a comfortable and efficient workspace. The fabric-trimmed bucket seats offer generous head and legroom for driver and passenger and the ample open floor space between them features a sturdy cradle in which to carry the charging cable (see image).

There’s also ample storage including a large bottle-holder and multiple bins in each door plus a full-width overhead shelf with a key-lockable security box and a central glasses holder.

The top of the dash has two cupholders on each side (so, four in total) plus a large compartment with clamshell lid in the centre equipped with a 12V socket and three USB-C ports. There’s another shelf in the lower dash on the passenger side, a quartet of cupholders in the centre console and yet another compartment hidden beneath the passenger seat.

The local eSprinter range, which does not include a cab-chassis variant, offers a choice of van-based models comprising the MWB (Medium Wheelbase) with 81kWh motor for a list price of $104,313 and LWB (Long Wheelbase) with 113kWh motor for $121,041. This six-figure pricing is in the same ballpark as full-electric large van equivalents from Ford (E-Transit) and LDV (eDeliver 9).

Our test vehicle, finished in standard 'Arctic White', is the smaller MWB/81kWh model equipped with the optional High Roof (option code DO3) which adds almost half a metre (489mm) to its external height and $2392 (ex GST) to its price.

Its work-focused standard equipment includes 16-inch steel wheels with 225/75 R16 tyres and a full-size spare, DRLs and side marker lights, sealed cabin bulkhead with central window, electric-adjustable truck-style exterior mirrors, heated driver’s seat and exterior mirror, prestige leather-rimmed steering wheel with multiple remote control functions, colour 5.5-inch driver’s information display, reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors and tyre pressure monitoring to name a few.

The cabin also has an electronic parking brake, electric air-conditioning and heating plus multiple USB ports and 12V sockets. The latest 'MBUX' multimedia system features a large 10.25-inch touchscreen as central command offering voice activation, digital radio, wireless Apple/Android connectivity and more.

This will be the last time Maserati gets a proper Ferrari engine like this a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 shouty monster, which is good for 433kW and 730Nm.

The future, as is the case everywhere, is going to be more electric and less noisy. For now, anyone who can should enjoy this V8 masterpiece, which drives all four wheels through Maserati's Q4 on-demand all-wheel drive system via a limited-slip rear differential and uses an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Its claimed 0 to 100km/h time is 3.9 seconds, which puts it in what used to be super-car territory, and is still very quick indeed, while top speed is an unimaginable 304km/h.

The eSprinter is powered by a single electric motor producing 150kW of power and 400Nm of torque. It’s mounted under the rear floor where it drives the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission.

This compact motor-trans unit shares underfloor space with an 81kWh lithium-ion battery that provides the motor’s energy. This battery occupies most of the underfloor between the front and rear axles and features a slimline design to optimise ground clearance.

Drivers have a choice of three drive modes comprising 'Comfort', 'Economic' and 'Max Range', plus different levels of energy recuperation using steering wheel-mounted paddles that adjust the intensity of regenerative braking.

The electric motor also features a ‘boost’ function which temporarily increases power output when fast acceleration or overtaking is required. The eSprinter’s maximum speed is capped at 120km/h.

The official claimed fuel economy for the Maserati Levante Trofeo is 13.5 litres per 100km, but good luck with that. 

A more realistic number would probably sit somewhere above 17 litres per 100km, and we would have easily exceeded 20 litres while driving it like lunatics around a track.

But you just paid $330K for an SUV, what do you care about fuel economy?

Mercedes-Benz’s official driving range for the 81kWh eSprinter, based on combined WLTP testing, is up to 264km. When we collected the vehicle for our test, the battery was fully charged but the estimated driving range displayed was only 234km, or 30km less than the official figure.

The eSprinter’s towering height also stopped us accessing local charging infrastructure (located inside multi-storey car parks) so our test was conducted using the initial single charge. This included a mix of suburban and city driving best suited to electric van use and covered a total distance of 190km.

At the completion of our test, the dash display claimed average energy consumption of 29kWh/100km, with 25 per cent battery charge remaining and 63km of estimated range. So, based on these figures, the official WLTP range of up to 264km is credible.

The eSprinter comes standard with a Mode 3/Type 2 charging cable and the charging port is in the centre of the grille behind a spring-loaded flap displaying a three-pointed star badge.

Mercedes-Benz claims 11kW AC charging of the 81kWh battery from 10-80 per cent takes around eight hours while 115kW DC fast charging reduces that to around 32 minutes.

We got to drive all three Trofeo-fettled Maseratis on track at Sydney Motorsport Park, and before that on the road, where the Levante felt very pleasant, and pleasantly expensive at all times.

As you might expect, a vehicle with 433kW is difficult to fully appreciate on public roads, although there was the occasional and exciting change to give it a quick, loud blat between gears.

It only takes hearing that engine note, and feeling that torque surge, a few times to see why someone might fall in love with this car, or at least this engine.

Out on the track, the rear-driven Ghibli and Quattroporte, which share the Levante's engine, were surely the more fun and frenetic things to drive, but there were those who chose the Levante as their best of the three, even for circuit driving.

There's no doubt that its on-demand all-wheel-drive system, which is biased towards the rear but asks the front wheels for help when required, made it feel the most planted, and the safest, through fast and slow bends.

There's a definite sense that its engine is being asked to work the hardest, though, to push all that bulk through the air (although its brakes never seemed to fade, which is impressive with more than two tonnes of SUV to stop).

While the big, deafening V8 is willing and keen to rev all the way to 7000rpm (where it bangs on the redline waiting for your upshift, if you're driving in manual mode - I do like that), it started to make large sucking sounds towards the top of each gear, as if it was desperately trying to get more oxygen in.

It genuinely sounded different to the other two Trofeo cars, which is odd, but perhaps they just weren't as near their limits. That bulk also slowed it slightly in terms of top speed down the straight, but it still exceeded 220km/h with ease.

What should be said is that I was genuinely shocked at how good the Levante Trofeo was around a track. So much so I asked to have a second go, just to make sure I wasn't going mad.

Sure, it makes no sense to me personally, and I don't know why anyone needs an SUV that's good on a track, but if you do, I can recommend the Levante for sure.

That hugely enjoyable engine is just too much fun, although it's even better in a sedan like the Ghibli...

There are large handles on the front door window frame and overhead shelf to assist climbing aboard, where you’ll find a comfortable and commanding driving position.

This is thanks to supportive seating (albeit with no lumbar adjustment), ample steering wheel height/reach positioning and a spacious footwell, combined with a clear rear view through the bulkhead window and along the sides thanks to large truck-style mirrors.

The leather-rimmed steering wheel feels nice in your hands, all major controls are easy to see and operate and the electric air-conditioning and heating systems are effective.

It’s a pleasant vehicle to drive as the most noise you hear is the tyres, given the near silence of the rear-mounted motor and drivetrain. The underfloor location of the battery also creates a low centre of gravity, which optimises handling with minimal body lean when cornering.

Unladen ride quality is excellent, enhanced by the weight of the battery which helps the suspension iron out bumps. And the electric motor’s 400Nm of torque provides energetic performance, with acceleration delivered in a smooth liquid-like surge.

Selecting the strongest regenerative braking not only optimises energy harvesting for the battery but also creates enough retardation to ensure mostly single-pedal driving (accelerator only) as the brake pedal is rarely required. This mode is also handy on steep descents.

To test its payload rating we forklifted 975kg into the cargo bay, which combined with our two-man crew equalled a total payload of 1155kg that was still comfortably below its legal limit.

The rear leaf springs compressed less than 30mm under this loading, leaving ample bump-stop clearance to ensure no bottoming out on our test route. The e-motor’s response was more subdued as you’d expect but it still hauled this payload with apparent ease.

Overall, the driving experience was hard to fault, apart from the vertical pillar between the fixed and sliding glass in the driver’s door blocking the outer third of the exterior mirror’s view, at least with the driver’s seat positioned far enough rearwards to suit my 186cm frame.

We also noted, when travelling at highway speeds on a windy day, that our test vehicle was prone to being moved within its lane by strong crosswinds, even though ‘Crosswind Assist’ is included in the active safety menu.

We suspect the High Roof option was responsible for this given the larger bodysides it creates and is something to be mindful of when driving in high wind conditions.

There’s no ANCAP star rating for commercial vans above 3.5-tonne GVM but the eSprinter did score the maximum Platinum grade in ANCAP’s Commercial Van Safety Comparison in 2024.

It comes standard with six airbags, active distance assist (can automatically brake and accelerate in traffic), lane-keeping, multiple blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors, crosswind assist and many more.

Maserati offers a three-year, unlimited kilometre warranty, but you can choose to buy 12-month or two-year warranty extensions, and even a sixth or seventh-year drive-train warranty extension.

When much, much cheaper Japanese and Korean cars are offering seven and even 10-year warranties, this is so far off the pace that such a fast vehicle should be embarrassed. And if you're buying something Italian, a better, longer warranty would seem like a must. I'd be negotiating at sale for them to throw the longer warranty offer in.

Maserati says servicing for the Ghibli has a "ball park costing of $2700.00 for the first three years of ownership" with a service schedule of every 20,000km or 12 months (whichever occurs first)

Also, "please note that the above is indicative only of the manufacturers basic routine service maintenance schedule and does not include any consumable items such as tyres, brakes etc or additional dealership charges such as environmental levies etc."

Then eSprinter comes standard with a five-year/250,000km warranty including 24/7 roadside assist for the same duration. There’s also a separate eight years/160,000km warranty covering the lithium-ion battery.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/40,000km whichever occurs first. Capped pricing applies to the first five scheduled services totalling $1920, or an average of $384 per service. Pre-paid service packages offer additional savings.