Saar: It is the most powerful SUV that Maserati has ever made, with a twin-turbo V8 under the bonnet

Say hello to one of the sexiest and the most powerful SUVs ever made – the Maserati Levante Trofeo. The Italians chose the ongoing New York International Auto Show to showcase the fourth variant of the Levante lineup. In case your wondering, Trofeo is Italian for trophy. The name is pretty apt because as you can see, this version of the Levante would surely go home with a tiara from a beauty contest.

The main talking point is its powerplant. It is a 3.8-litre V8 engine that is boosted by two turbochargers. The result is 590PS of power and 730Nm of torque. With power going to all four wheels, the Levante Trofeo is capable of accelerating from naught to 100kmph in just 3.9 seconds and go way past 300kmph with its legs completely stretched. That’s supercar performance and there’s nothing else one would expect from Maserati.

In the styling department, it is hard to beat the Italians. For the Levante Trofeo, Maserati tweaked the front and rear bumpers for an aggressive outlook. That stance is further accentuated by the 22-inch alloy wheels which are specially designed for this superfast SUV and are available in both polished and matte finishes. Wow! The side air intakes in the lower fascia have been restyled to match the sporty nature of Levante Trofeo and enhance the high-speed stability as well.

At the front, the full Matrix LED headlights, double vertical bars finished in piano black on the grille and lower honeycomb mesh fascia help the new variant to establish its own unique looks. And for those who don’t have an eye for details can surely identify the Trofeo with its specific “Saetta” Trofeo logos on the c-pillars. Other specific details like the lower splitter, side skirt inserts, and the rear extractor are made of carbon-fibre. Even the hood was taken back to the drawing board to give it two vents for better cylinder head cooling.

Inside the cabin, the sculpted sports seats feature a full-grain “Pieno Fiore” natural leather. They can be had in black, red and tan with contrast stitching and “Trofeo” logos on the headrests. Newness is injected into the matte carbon-fibre trim and paddle shifters, bespoke instrument cluster graphics and the floor mats with metal Trofeo badges. A 1,280-watt, 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins surround sound system comes part of the standard kit.

Clearly, the Italians have made a genuine effort to the Levante Trofeo apart from the standard variants. There are three variants to choose from – two with a petrol engine and the third with a diesel. The standard petrol and the ‘S’ petrol have the same 3.0-litre V6 under the hood but produce 350PS/500Nm and 430PS/580Nm respectively. The diesel motor also the same cubic capacity and the cylinder alignment (V6) but produces 275PS/600Nm. All three engines come as standard with an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. As of now, only the diesel-powered Levante is on sale in India. As far as competition is concerned, the Levante in India takes on the likes of the Range Rover Sport, Porsche Cayenne and the Lexus RX.