Maserati Levante Trofeo With 490 Horsepower Revealed At NYIAS
Alongside Lamborghini and Alfa Romeo, Maserati is yet another Italian car maker that felt the need to introduce a high-performance luxury SUV (Sports Activity Vehicle) to the market. Named Levante Trofeo, this luxury monster is powered by a 3.8 Liter Twin Turbo V8 engine, delivering 590 horsepower and 730 Nm of peak torque. This allows the Maserati Levante Trofeo to sprint from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in just 3.9 seconds and to reach a top speed of over 300 km/h.
This is just shy of the Urus, who relies on a 4.0 liter V8 twin-turbo engine delivering 650 horsepower and 850 Nm of maximum torque, allowing it to sprint from 0-100km/h (0-62mph) in 3.6 seconds, while it will reach 0-200 km/h in 12,8 seconds. For the Lamborghini Urus, the top speed the driver will be able to achieve goes all the way up to a staggering 305 km/h – making it the fastest SUV available. The Levante follows in a similar path, but will probably cost a lot less.
“It’s proof that when you play with the elements you end up in a storm”, says Maserati CEO Tim Kuniskis. “In the case of Trofeo, the engineers and designers in Modena knew that the driveline parameters were more than able to cope with additional power and they also knew that Maserati had access to the finest engines on earth. So, they were up to the challenge of making the finest luxury SUV also one of the fastest”.
The unmistakable Levante design has reached new levels of sportiness in this top of the line Trofeo. The elegant restyling was mainly focused on the lower front fascia and the rear bumper and is underlined by the 22-inch forged aluminum “Orione” wheels – the largest ever fitted on a Maserati – available in both polished and matte finishes.
Power under control
Maserati engineers developed the mighty 3.8-litre Twin Turbo V8 engine to accommodate the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system, providing it with a new crankcase design, specific crankshaft assembly, new oil pump and auxiliary belt and a different wiring layout.
New turbochargers feature increased flow, while redesigned cylinder heads with specific camshafts and valves, different pistons and new connecting rods allow the ability to reach the maximum power targets in combination with specific engine calibration mapping.
The Levante Trofeo is definitely one of the fastest SUVs ever built with a top speed of over 300 km/h. Thanks to its remarkable weight/power ratio of 3.6 kg/hp the Trofeo needs only 3.9 seconds to reach 100 km/h and only 34.5 meters of braking distance to get back to a complete stop.
The ideal 50:50 weight balance and the low center of gravity – common to all Levante models – in combination with the finely tuned double-wishbone front / Multi Link rear suspension and the larger tires fitted to the 22-inch forged aluminum wheels, endow the new Trofeo with remarkably balanced handling and lateral stability.
The new “Corsa” Driving mode with Launch Control functionality in addition to the existing Normal, I.C.E., Sport and Off Road modes has been adopted to enhance the athletic character of the ultimate Maserati SUV. “Corsa” driving mode further improves engine response and opens exhaust valves in acceleration, as well as provides faster gear shifting, lower air suspension height levels, sportier Skyhook damping and optimized Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive settings and interacts with Traction Control and ESP systems to maximize driving pleasure.
The Maserati Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC) system has been incorporated for the first time in a Levante, for impressive driving dynamics, better performance and a genuine Maserati driving experience, by helping to prevent vehicle instability, instead of correcting “driver mistakes” as a traditional Electronic Stability Program (ESP) system does.
Limited series Levante Trofeo launch edition
Upon launch, Maserati will showcase a limited Levante Trofeo launch edition at the Javits Center in New York. The show car is in the special matte Grigio Lava paint with matte finished 22-inch wheels and red brake calipers. This limited series Trofeo is exclusively intended for a small number of Maserati customers in the U.S. and Canada.
The limited edition model comes with eight unique exterior colors including the following exclusive exterior features: 22-inch forged aluminium wheels with three-season performance tyres or new 21-inch wheels with all-season tyres, in a gloss finish and dark details, like black daylight openings (DLO) and fog light rings, as well as Black Chrome Maserati badges, Trofeo “Saetta” logos, side air vents and trunk accent.
The Trofeo launch edition interior is even more individual, featuring natural “Pieno Fiore” leather sport seats available in black, tan or red with contrast stitching. Black leather with blue or yellow stitching is exclusive to the launch edition and all feature the new matte carbon fiber wave interior trim. A serialized launch edition badge integrated on the center console featuring the customer’s name, has also been added to underline the unique character of the Trofeo launch edition.
Currently, there is no set date for the availability of the Maserati Levante Trofeo in the North American market. Maserati is also yet to reveal full pricing on this high-performance version of their luxury vehicle, but we will keep you updated on that throughout the forthcoming weeks. Grab a detailed view at the Maserati Levante Trofeo in the media gallery right below.
