High-Performance Maserati Levante Deemed A Possibility

#Maserati is open to the possibility of launching a high-performance variant of the #MaseratiLevante if it can make a business case for itself.

According to Maserati global operations boss Alberto Cavaggioni, who recently spoke to Autocar, such a model could use the 3.8-liter range-topping V8 of the Quattroporte with 523 hp and 479 lb-ft of torque on tap.

“For sure, we have the engine on the Quattroporte so there is potential, but it has to be justified by volumes. If you mirror what we do with the Quattroporte, we could do the same on everything we do,” he said.

If Maserati were to launch a potent new variant of the Levante, it could offer performance to rival the likes of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio as well as the larger BMW X6 M.

At this stage, however, Cavaggioni said the brand is focusing on a number of improvements for the standard model, though he did comment that they have something up their sleeve for later in the SUV’s lifecycle.

In the U.S., the Levante is available solely with a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 in two states of tune. In its entry-level form, it produces 345 HP, while for the range-topper, that figure rises to 424 HP.