LEVANTE TROFEO
drives like the wind
Does a vehicle with a 3.8-litre Ferrari derived twin-turbo V8 with 590 hp, a 0-100 km/h time of 3.9 seconds and a top speed in excess of 280 km/h sound like a truck to you? In Canada, any vehicle that is not a passenger car or bus is categorized as a truck – including SUVs, making the 2020 Maserati Levante Trofeo a truck. But what a truck! It drives like the wind, hence the name “Levante,” meaning “the wind” in Italian. Big and almost brutish, it looks fast just standing still. Spitting hubris from every pore, the Trofeo makes little pretense of being an everyday family hauler. This is a macho ride all the way and it starts with the engine, which is hand assembled at the Ferrari factory and finished with red crackle cylinder head covers. Punch the starter button to the left of the steering wheel and the engine does a full rotation or two before grunting into life, then rises to a deep, basso rumble at idle, a sound you only get from a nononsense V8. And I really don’t know which is better – the stunning acceleration or the sound of the quad exhausts, especially when in the Sport/Corsa drive mode. Step inside and the aggressive nature of the Levante Trofeo makes way for a luxury cabin Italian style, with high gloss carbon trim and class exclusive Pieno Fiore natural leather in red on the seats, instrument panel, and doors, plus Trofeo logos embossed on the seat headrests. The over large paddle shifters are carbon fibre ($550 option) and curved to fit the contour of the hands. The speedo on the left and tach on the right of the main gauge cluster are, thankfully, analog. I don’t know about you, but I find a round dial with a pointer is vastly quicker to see and comprehend than constantly changing digital numbers. The centre stack touchscreen is on the smallish side compared to the new crop of 12-inch plus displays out there, but it does the job. And the system is backed up by Maserati Touch Control Plus (MTC+) and is both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatible. A nice touch was a small, Maseratifaced analog clock top centre of the instrument panel. On the outside, I can’t forget to mention the front carbon fibre splitter, which is fully functional, not merely decorative. The hood is aluminum with twin, functional engine bay heat extractor vents. The fun begins on the left side of the centre console with five buttons to change engine/transmission/ suspension settings. They include stability control on/off, off-road, adjustable dampers, I.C.E., which does not mean snow and ice but “Increased Controls and Efficiency” and, lastly Sport/Corsa. The latter, complete with launch control, turns the Levante Trofeo from hot to torrid. As noted above, the hand assembled engine in the Ferrari factory is mated to a stout ZF eight-speed automatic transmission with standard Maserati Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive. Also standard is the adaptive air suspension with Skyhook damping, plus limited slip differential with torque vectoring. I don’t know how they did it, considering its complexity, but Maserati achieves a perfect 50:50 weight distribution balance, which puts the nexus of grip right below the seat of your pants where you want it. While 22-inch alloy wheels are available, my tester was fitted with 21inch staggered wheels with Pirelli allseason tires on Anteo Black rims with blue painted calipers. The mighty power of the engine is matched by its thirst for 93-octane fuel with a consumption rating of 17.3/12.9/15.3L/100km city/highway/ combined. Those in the market for something like the Levante Trofeo will think that’s acceptable in light of the performance, not to mention the prestige of owning a vehicle like this. During my usual drive route of city, secondary highway, and threelane expressway the Levante Trofeo garnered long looks from other drivers, especially from those in SUV/CUVs. Just tap the pedal and the Levante Trofeo leaps forward with a speed that surprised me at first, until I learned to rein it in. On one, long 40-km portion through rolling hills, it was a delight to drive with all drive systems combining for a smooth ride that inspired confidence. But when I switched to Sport/Corsa, I felt the suspension and steering tighten up and the engine beef itself up along with a notable change in the exhaust note I could hear inside even though the windows were closed. It was if it was saying, “Come on, let’s do it,” but I was travelling in a known OPP target area, so it made no sense. Pricing starts at $168,550 and as tested at $170,210, not including destination fee, making it competitive with the likes of Range Rover Sport SVR and Porsche Cayenne Turbo S. Truck or not, the 2020 Maserati Levante Trofeo represents one of the satisfying rides you’ll ever find. It’s a sport truck Italian style.