This Unassuming SUV Has A 590 HP Engine Under The Hood

The Maserati Levante Trofeo had its World Premiere at the 2018 New York International Auto Show. The Levante Trofeo was the top-of-the-line Maserati SUV at the time, and it came equipped with a 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine producing 590 horsepower. This engine, similar to all Maserati engines, was assembled in Maranello by Ferrari, making it a non-Ferrari car with a Ferrari engine. The Levante Trofeo's massive power output is channelled through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission and then distributed to all four of its wheels via the Q4 AWD system. During SlashGear's time with the Maserati Levante Trofeo, it became clear that while the V8 was a wonderful thing, its interior can get a little annoying sometimes.

The twin-turbo V8 in the Maserati Levante Trofeo evolved from the unit in the Quattroporte GTS, the performance version of Maserati's large four-door sedan, where it had an output of 523 horsepower. Adapting the engine to an all-wheel drive layout involved making room for the front driveshaft by redesigning the crankcase, crankshaft, and oil pump. The parallel twin-scroll turbochargers are intercooled, while the cylinder heads, camshafts, valves, pistons, and connecting rods are specific to this engine, boosting it to that 590 horsepower output.

Performance testing by Car and Driver showed that the Maserati Levante Trofeo could do 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds, 0-100 mph in 8.7 seconds, and cleared the standing quarter-mile in 12 seconds at 117 mph. Roadholding on the 300-foot skidpad was a respectable 0.91g, while, according to Maserati, the Levante Trofeo can do 189 mph.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo comes with a unique Corsa driving mode, which joins the other drive modes you'd expect. Corsa mode lowers the suspension, activates a sportier Skyhook shock absorber setting, shifts faster, and improves throttle response. ESP and traction control systems are also dialed back, making it easier to let it all hang out. 

Launch control is also available in Corsa mode, letting the driver build up the revs while holding the car on the brake, and after the brake is released, prepare for takeoff. During SlashGear's time at the Maserati track day, we learned that while the Levante Trofeo was impressively fast in a straight line, it took lots of work to hustle it through corners.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo was produced from the 2019 through the 2024 model years. The production of the Levante Trofeo's Ferrari V8 engine came to an end before the end of 2023, spelling the end of the model run. Of course, this was back when the industry planned to go all-electric by 2030, a date that is likely to be pushed far into the future. In any case, the Levante Trofeo is gone, with used examples available at much lower prices than the $150,000 or more that buyers likely paid for new examples, thanks to that infamous Maserati depreciation.