Arabian Might
BBC TopGear India|January 2017

The First-ever Mainstream SUV From Italy is Named After a Wind From the East. To the Emirates With the Levante Then.
 

Sriram Narayanan
Arabian Might

And it happened. I could see frantic activity in my rear view mirror as the convoy of Maserati Levantes was broken. The lead car ahead of me took a U-turn to rush to the spot I was looking at through my rear view mirror. Sunset was a couple of hours away and we were amongst sand dunes on the outskirts of Dubai. And one of the Levantes in a bunch of about eight got stranded in the sand. I was surprised it didn’t happen earlier. Because this isn’t a Land Cruiser or a Land Rover or a Wrangler. This is a Maserati SUV. A company that’s never made SUVs before. Its parent company, Fiat, has never made SUVs before. Its home country – Italy – has never made SUVs before. There have been attempts. By Lamborghini no less. But that first attempt was a failed military prototype called the Cheetah which couldn’t climb up inclines because of a 5.9-litre V8 mounted at the rear and that lead to the LM002, a civilian abomination reeking of power and a 290-litre fuel tank that’d empty out an Arab oil well before you could say Arab oil well.

Denne historien er fra January 2017-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra January 2017-utgaven av BBC TopGear India.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA BBC TOPGEAR INDIASe alt
Does It Fly?
BBC TopGear India

Does It Fly?

2024 TVS APACHE RR 310 ₹2.75 Lakh - ₹2.97 Lakh (ex-showroom)

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
Is It A Scooter? Is It A Bike? No! It Is The BMW CE 02
BBC TopGear India

Is It A Scooter? Is It A Bike? No! It Is The BMW CE 02

It is rare when you come across a moment where a company brings out a vehicle into the market without knowing who exactly they want to sell it to.

time-read
4 mins  |
October 2024
Aston Martin Valkyrie
BBC TopGear India

Aston Martin Valkyrie

The Aston Martin Valkyrie still looks like nothing else on four wheels. Probably because it isn’t.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
ONE-MAN BAND
BBC TopGear India

ONE-MAN BAND

We are a cynical bunch of people as we try our best to narrow down our vision and focus on the things that are lacking.

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024
CRISIS AVERTED! THE EXISTENTIAL KIND
BBC TopGear India

CRISIS AVERTED! THE EXISTENTIAL KIND

Finally, the Yezdi Adventure won’t be suffering from an existential crisis anymore.

time-read
3 mins  |
October 2024
ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN
BBC TopGear India

ROYAL ENFIELD HIMALAYAN

ALTHOUGH IT IS A PERENNIAL ORDEAL FOR ANY MOTORCYCLIST to feel sad while parting ways with a motorcycle, it became even sadder for me this time around.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
TVS APACHE RTR 310
BBC TopGear India

TVS APACHE RTR 310

THE FIRST THING I WANT TO SAY IS - “IT IS A MENACE ON WHEELS”.

time-read
1 min  |
October 2024
ACE OF BASE
BBC TopGear India

ACE OF BASE

What happens when you take Porsche's old school entry level model and give it a very not entry level upgrade? This is a 914 as you've never seen it before

time-read
5 mins  |
October 2024
MOMS KNOW BEST
BBC TopGear India

MOMS KNOW BEST

Volvo's XC90 was the stereotypical Soccer Mom car. So how will the all-electric EX90 be received among the soccer pitches of Orange County?

time-read
7 mins  |
October 2024
THE THEORYOF EVOLUTION
BBC TopGear India

THE THEORYOF EVOLUTION

Ridged bladder seats, an inflating steering wheel and an AI track day coach... has Lotus hit on the supercar’s future, or gone mad’?

time-read
6 mins  |
October 2024