SPY PICS: V8 power for Maserati Levante GTS
Maserati plotting a hi-po SUV challenge to Porsche, Benz and BMWNot without reasons, folk attracted to high-performing top-end SUVs have not felt their needs satisfied by Maserati's Levante, the Italian company's first venture into the SUV market.
With the top-spec Levante S featuring a twin-turbo 3.0-litre petrol V6 producing 321kW and 580Nm, the brand has so far fallen a tad short of competing in the hi-po territory where the mighty turbo V8s of the Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S, BMW X5 M and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S hold sway.
That's about to change though, with Maserati in the throes of applying the finishing touches to a new GTS version that will be powered by a Ferrari-developed twin-turbo V8 that should see the Levante approaching, but not quite matching, its German rivals.
The 3.8-litre V8 will come from the Quattroporte GTS, where it delivers 390kW and 650Nm - enough to close in, for example, on Porsche's latest Cayenne Turbo S, which has 419kW/800Nm at its disposal.
Benz (430kW/760Nm) and BMW (423kW/750Nm) are likely to have the upper hand as well.
That's if Maserati chooses to drop the Quattroporte's V8 unchanged under the Levante's bonnet. There's always the chance it will be tweaked to meet its upmarket peers head-on.
As far as the spy photos are concerned, there's little to suggest there will be any major changes in the Levante's appearance other than de rigueur oversize wheels with extra-low-profile tyres to herald the GTS's arrival.
The cladding attached to the front and rear ends does little to suggest major identifying cues. The front wheel-arches may be a little wider and there might be a new front bumper, but that's only speculation.
Whatever, the Levante GTS is sure to come in above the current top-spec Levante S GranSport and GranLusso models, which are both currently tagged at $179,990. There is speculation that the GTS will coincide with a planned update for the Levante range later this year.
With just 429 sales recorded for the year, the Levante was far less popular than large luxury SUV segment leaders Land Rover (4594 sales for Discovery and Range Rover Sport), BMW (4042 sales for X5 and X6) and Mercedes-Benz (2981 sales for GLE and GLE Coupe).
In fact, last year Audi (with 2664 Q7 sales), Lexus (with 1858 RX sales), Volkswagen (1611 Touareg sales), Porsche (with 1111 Cayenne sales) and Volvo (1086 XC90 sales) also outsold the Italian brand, whose exclusivity won't be diminished much by the V8 Levante GTS.
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