Maserati Levante Trofeo 2020 Review

Italian culture famously epitomises the thinking that you can’t rush a good thing, but even a sun-drenched, espresso-sipping Positano beach bum would question the time it has taken for Maserati to deliver a V8-powered Levante SUV.

Almost four years since gracing us with the original Maserati Levante – powered by a so-so turbo-diesel V6, later a turbo-petrol V6 – the Italian marque famous for gurgling V8s has turned around a Levante it believes is worthy of a medal. Well, a trophy.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo arrives in Australia this month as the most powerful vehicle to ever wear the famous Trident badge, with a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 outputting 441kW/730Nm.

The Trofeo is also the most expensive Maserati on Australian roads, taking the mantle from the now-retired V8-powered GranTurismo coupe.

The baton handover is somewhat fitting, because in most respects, the Maserati Trofeo is the new performance benchmark in the Maserati range. You read right, an SUV.

The objective case for buying the Maserati Levante Trofeo probably isn’t as straight forward as many of its key rivals, even if it does ably juggle performance and practicality.

At $330,000 (plus on-road costs), the flagship Maserati Levante Trofeo is one of the most expensive SUVs on Australian roads.

Yet it is also one of the most powerful, cranking out 441kW at 6250rpm and 730Nm over 2500-5000rpm from a 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 built on a Ferrari production line and shared with the lower-output Quattroporte GTS.

The Levante Trofeo is joined in Australia by the lower-output Levante GTS, which shares the same twin-turbo V8 but is detuned to produce a still-credible 404kW/730Nm. The GTS is priced at $265,000 plus ORCs.

Both models are well north of other large V8 performance SUVs like the Audi SQ7 TDI ($161,900), BMW X6 M ($197,629), Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 ($195,030), Range Rover Sport SVR ($239,187) and Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe ($254,000).

However, Maserati softly implies the more expensive ($390,000 plus ORCs) Lamborghini Urus is more its game.

Indeed, the claimed accelerative performance of the 2170kg Levante Trofeo suggests it is close to its compatriot’s pedigree. At 3.9 seconds to 100km/h from rest (GTS: 4.2 seconds), the Trofeo is only just behind the Urus (3.6 seconds) and is quicker and more powerful than all of its other German, Italian and British rivals, including the 404kW/700Nm Porsche Cayenne Turbo, 423kW/700Nm Range Rover Sport SVR and 430kW/760Nm Mercedes-AMG GLE 63 S.

There’s also an element of exclusivity and, dare we say it, bravado, in the Levante Trofeo that you won’t find in the common man’s performance SUV.

Our test example, one of three Trofeo Launch Editions imported to Oz priced at $395,000 (plus on-road costs), is dripping in carbon-fibre embellishments and a three-layer ‘Giallo Modense’ yellow hue that tells the world you’re not the shy, retiring type.

Unique to the Trofeo is a light-weight alloy bonnet with vents, full matrix LED headlights, bespoke front bumper with carbon splitters and piano black trimmings, four bulbous exhaust outlets, 22-inch forged alloy wheels plus subtle badging cues including a Trident motif that neatly incorporates the word ‘Trofeo’ underneath.

Inside, sumptuous Pieno Fiore natural leather trim adorns the seats and contact points, contrasted by yellow stitching and matte carbon inlays. There are also Trofeo-badged instruments, head restraints and floor mats, plus a 1280-Watt 17-speaker Bowers & Wilkins sound system.

The equipment and luxe-factor go some way in warranting the Trofeo’s hefty purchase price. But if it’s bang for buck you’re after, Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Trackhawk unquestionably holds that mantle; at $135K, it smashes the Maser out of the park with 522kW and a 0-100km/h time of 3.7sec.

The Levante is backed by a three-year/unlimited kilometre warranty in Australia while servicing intervals are spaced every 12 months/20,000km.

Maserati does not offer capped price servicing in Australia but a spokesman for the brand said the first three years of servicing amounted to approximately $2637 ($685 first service, $1027 for second service and $950 for third service).

Of course, a hearty V8 engine is only one side of the performance SUV equation in Australia. Though the Maserati Levante Trofeo boasts circuit-worthy credentials, the truth is it needs to be suitable for families, with safety, luxury and tech appointments to support an adequate spatial layout.

The Trofeo adheres to this thinking with a useable five-seat layout and a 580-litre boot that is accessed via an electric tailgate and split-folding seats. The boot itself offers proportions big enough for a couple of full-size suitcases or a designer pram, with four tie-down points and a 12-volt power outlet.

The cargo area is a long way off segment leaders for practicality, but the space is still a useable one. The biggest criticism is the absence of a spare wheel.

Front space is adequate for passengers of all shapes and sizes, with comfortable seats that are more geared for comfort than all-out g-forces.

Cavernous door pockets with bottle-friendly openings are on offer, paired with two centrally-mounted cup-holders and a small open cubby for sunglasses and wallets. If anything, the only major storage gripe is a centre bin with about an inch worth of depth on offer.

The rear is likewise accommodating. A six-foot adult will have little trouble getting themselves comfortable, with adequate knee room and shoulder room.

A tapering roofline ultimately limits headroom, the window line is high-set (obscuring the outlook for little ones) and the rear seat warmers are mounted in an odd position inside the door pockets, but otherwise the space is well sorted.

The Trofeo’s proportions are supported by four-zone climate control covering all five passengers, three USB points (one in the front, two in the rear), heated and ventilated seats up front and heated seats in the rear.

Meanwhile, the Trofeo’s infotainment system comprises a tried-and-tested 8.4-inch touch-screen with Bluetooth, sat-nav digital radio plus Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Sadly, there’s no head-up display and the driver’s instrument cluster is a combination of two analogue gauges separated by a digital readout with important trip information.

It’s hardly the latest word in presentation, and the steering wheel mounted buttons are not reflective of the price tag, but the Trofeo’s internals present nicely nonetheless.

On the safety front, there’s six airbags, forward collision warning, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, reversing camera and 360-degree overhead camera, tyre pressure monitoring and front/rear parking sensors.

Though the Trofeo’s Ferrari-built V8 shares common parts with the Quattroporte GTS and Levante GTS, this is no copy and paste effort. Wholesale upgrades include a new crankshaft, turbochargers, cylinder-heads, camshafts, valves, pistons, connecting rods, oil pump, auxiliary drive belt and wiring loom.

The bent-eight is mated standard to an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission with a shorter gear shifter, hooking up drive to Maserati’s Q4 on-demand all-wheel drive system via a limited-slip rear differential. Maser says the rear-biased all-paw system distributes up to 50 per cent to the front when required and across the rear axle via torque vectoring.

Underpinning the Trofeo’s performance credentials is a firmer double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension set-up supported by a specific Maserati Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC), ESC and ABS software tunes.

The Levante’s air suspension and power steering tuned have also been recalibrated for the Trofeo, while a 35mm-lower ‘Corsa’ driving mode with launch control has been added.

The Levante’s pneumatic spring system provides six different levels and 75mm of height variation from lowest to highest position.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo marks it hard-core pretensions more or less from the moment you depress its starter button.

The V8 engine yelps to life, belching out an especially loud and throaty rasp if cold, before settling into a more subdued burble. Thankfully, this is an unbridled, metallic symphony – one free from unsolicited sound enhancers or symposers via the speakers.

From idle speed through to 7200rpm, it is a raw, Italian V8. And what a spectacle it is.

Flooring the Trofeo for the first time – especially in the most aggressive Corsa mode – fills the cabin with the same cackling laughter as Jeep’s Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. There’s a familiar induction noise too, almost akin to a military jet.

Crisp, instant throttle response heralds the beginning of a fun and enthralling ascent to the 7000rpm cut-out. There’s no delay, no early sign off – just brutish forward surge as the Continental SportContact tyres 6 ply their adhesion.

The raw firepower means the 2170kg SUV is able to partially mask its dimensions in a straight-line, even squatting in the rear as it maniacally hauls you to the next corner.

The eight-speed automatic happily facilitates full-tilt blasts, dropping several gears when required and providing fast, well-timed upshifts.

The rest of the dynamic package is quite sound: reflective of a 50/50 front/rear weight distribution and underlying electronic wizardry.

The caveat – as with all SUVs of this ilk – is that you cannot defy physics. The Maserati Levante Trofeo is still a big five-seat SUV.

As such, the Trofeo isn’t the sort of vehicle that allows you to arrive too fast at a corner before figuring out what to do next. Ill-timed changes in direction can tend to make the five-seat SUV squirrely.

The secret is smooth, patient inputs before mashing the accelerator on corner exit, at which point clever electronics instil confidence and headier speeds.

In longer corners, the Trofeo hunkers down admirably, telegraphing what’s happening on the road with accurate steering that doesn’t quite impart the natural feeling of previous hydraulically-assisted Maseratis.

There’s a nice rear-biased feel to the Trofeo’s all-wheel drive system. While a short road drive didn’t allow for any sliding antics, we reckon a circuit just might.

Braking performance is likewise strong and consistent across our 300km drive in the new machine, getting the job done during a short dynamic stint.

Ultimately, we reckon a few circuit laps will begin asking questions of the six-piston Brembos monobloc callipers (wrapping 380mm discs up front), but for general duties they initially seem up to the task.

Speaking of general duties, the focussed nature of the Trofeo is not infallible. The road-ride, especially on our car’s 22-inch alloys, is always firm – even in the softest suspension setting.

It means that pitter-patter bumps are gently transferred into the cabin while bigger hits can mean some thudding and the occasional crash.

That said, the Trofeo feels controlled over rougher sections of road, and largely immune to unwanted floatiness. It feels well sorted, just sporty.

Tyre roar and wind noise is basically what you’d expect from an SUV of this ilk and the all-wheel drive system is prone to some binding at car park speeds – again, largely par for the course.

Purchasing a big, bustling, blown V8 is always going to have one downside, but fuel consumption held steady at 14.4L/100km during our trip, which included rural and highway roads broken up by the odd backroad blast.

Here’s the thing: this is the Maserati Levante we’ve been waiting for. Heck, it’s probably the Levante we should have seen from the beginning.

The Maserati Levante Trofeo is not cheap, but it is a genuinely exciting, grin-inducing SUV. And one that’s far more exclusive than most.

As Maserati begins the long and windy road towards electrification, the Levante Trofeo may well be remembered as the high water mark for the humble V8.

How much does the 2020 Maserati Levante Trofeo cost?
Price: $330,000 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo V8 petrol
Output: 441kW/730Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 13.5L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 313g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not rated