Maserati Levante Owner's Manual page 250

Driving
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 tyre and vehicle
manufacturer's advice on tire
pressure.
• When driving in sand, adopt lowest
gear possible. Tire pressure set at the
5
lower limits may help to increase the
vehicle capability. If you are driving
through sand dunes, avoid climbing
over them while try to go round
them.
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 (for
further details, refer to "Brake and
248
Stability Control System" in this
section).
If you stall or begin to lose forward
motion while climbing a steep hill,
allow your vehicle to come to a stop
and immediately apply the brakes. If
stalled, restart the engine, and shift
into R (Reverse). Back slowly down the
hill, allowing the compression braking
of the engine to help regulate your
speed. If the brakes are required to
control vehicle speed, apply them
lightly and avoid locking or skidding
the tires.
WARNING!
If you lose forward motion, or cannot
make it to the top of a hill or grade,
never attempt to turn around. To do
so may result in tipping and rolling the
vehicle. 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.
If the wheels start to slip as you
approach the crest of a hill, ease off
the accelerator and maintain forward
motion by turning the front wheels
slowly. This may provide a fresh "bite"
into the surface and will usually
provide traction to complete the climb.
Traction Downhill
When descending mountains or hills,
use Hill Descent Control (HDC) to avoid
repeated heavy braking (for further
details, refer to "Brake and Stability
Control System" in this section).
When descending mountains or hills,
repeated braking can cause brake fade
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, it is necessary to pay utmost
attention when tackling potentially
dangerous paths.
Before moving off, 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;