Maserati’s answer to the Porsche Cayenne Turbo
The 2019 Levante Trofeo debuts as the first Levante with V8 power, and has more horses than the Porsche Cayenne Turbo and Alfa Romeo's performance SUV, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
We're talking about a Ferrari-built 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 gasoline engine that makes 590 hp at 6,250 rpm and 730 Nm (538 lb-ft) of torque at 2,250-5,000 rpm. The engine has the highest output per liter (156 hp/liter) of any Maserati power plant ever produced.
All that power is put down via the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, which means the Levante Trofeo accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.9 seconds and exceeds 300 km/h (186 mph). It's also capable of braking from 100 km/h to a complete stop in only 34.5 meters.
The chassis has been tweaked as well to handle the higher power output, with the Levante Trofeo featuring a double-wishbone front/multilink rear suspension, as well as 22-inch forged aluminum wheels shod with performance tires.
Add to that the 50:50 weight balance and the low center of gravity and the Levante Trofeo should be worthy of the title of "the ultimate Maserati of SUVs."
The Trofeo also introduces a new Corsa driving mode with Launch Control in addition to the existing Normal, I.C.E., Sport, and Off-Road modes. Corsa improves engine response, provides faster gear shifting, lowers the suspension, and convinces the Traction Control and ESP systems to be more lenient.
Finally, the Trofeo is the first Levante to get the Maserati Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC) system which helps prevent vehicle instability rather than correcting "driver mistakes" as a traditional ESP system does.
The Maserati Levante Trofeo distinguishes itself from lesser Levante models thank to the more aggressive bumpers, new carbon fiber elements including side bezel blades, front splitter, and rear bumper ornament, as well as the largest wheels ever fitted on a Maserati — the 22-inch "Orione" rims.
Other specific design details include the new bonnet with two vents, piano black finish for the vertical bars in the grille, honeycomb mesh for the lower fascia, oval quad exhaust tips, painted brake calipers (red, blue, black, silver or yellow), and "Saetta" Trofeo logos on the C-pillars.
Inside, the Levante Trofeo offers sculpted sport seats upholstered in full-grain "Pieno Fiore" leather with contrast stitching and "Trofeo" logo on the headrests, matte carbon fiber trim and paddle shifters, specific graphics for the instrument cluster, floor mats with metal Trofeo badges, and a Maserati clock with a unique dial.
The Trofeo is also loaded with features, with highlights including the Full Matrix LED headlights and a 1,280-watt, 17-speaker Bowers&Wilking premium surround sound system. Maserati will begin production of the Levante Trofeo this summer in Mirafiori, Italy, with the first markets to get it including the U.S. and Canada.
READ MORE: Our comparison of the Maserati Levante and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio