Driving In Snow And Wet Grass; Driving In Mud And Sand; Hill Climbing; Traction Downhill - Maserati Levante Owner's Manual

Driving in Snow and Wet Grass

In heavy snow, when pulling a load,
or for additional control at slower
speeds, set "I.C.E." drive mode with
transmission in M +/- (Manual) and
shift the transmission to a low gear.
See "Drive Mode" in this section for
further details. Do not shift to a lower
gear than necessary to maintain
forward motion. Over-revving the
engine can spin the wheels and
traction will be lost.
Avoid abrupt downshifts on icy or
slippery roads, because engine braking
may cause skidding and loss of control.
Follow these instructions even when
driving through a path section covered
with wet grass.

Driving in Mud and Sand

In general, when driving in mud and
sand, if your wheels spin, always
reduce the throttle in order to slow
the tires and regain traction.
• When driving in mud, avoid using
low gear that could cause wheel
spin. Follow the tire and vehicle
manufacturer's advice on tire
pressure.
• When driving in sand, adopt lowest
gear possible.

Hill Climbing

Before climbing a hill, determine the
conditions at the crest and/or on the
other side and shift the transmission to
a lower gear.
The vehicle is equipped with Hill Start
Assist (HSA) that helps the driver to
manage the brake intervention in
acceleration when driving uphill (
chapter "Brake and Stability Control
Systems" in section "Safety").
WARNING!
If you lose forward motion, or cannot
make it to the top of a hill or grade,
never attempt to turn around. Always
back carefully straight down a hill in R
(Reverse) gear. Never back down a hill
in N (Neutral) using only the brake.
Remember, never drive diagonally
across a hill; always drive straight up or
down.

Traction Downhill

When descending mountains or hills,
use Hill Descent Control (HDC) to avoid
repeated heavy braking (for further
details, refer to "Hill Descend Control
- HDC" in section "Driver Assistance
Systems").
When descending mountains or hills,
repeated braking can cause brake fade
Starting and Driving
with loss of braking power. Avoid
repeated heavy braking and downshift
the transmission whenever possible in
order to cool down the brakes.
Warnings and Tips for Off-road
Driving
When driving off-road, using the "OFF
ROAD" drive mode which is specific for
:
this use.
Before driving, always make sure that
the vehicle reached the ride height set
through the selector.
When driving, always:
• limit driving speed as much as
possible to tackle bends, bumpy
sections and slopes;
• increase visual control in front and
on the sides of the vehicle to quickly
spot any obstacles in your path
(potholes, branches, etc.);
Always consider these tips further to
your experience gained in off-road
driving.
After Driving Off-road
Off-road operation puts more stress
on your vehicle than does most on-
road driving. After going off-road,
it is always a good idea to check for
damage. That way you can get any
problems taken care of right away
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