Without a doubt, SUVs have taken the biggest slice of the local luxury-car segment pie. In the Maserati Philippines stable, the Levante has been the most successful product in terms of sales. No wonder the distributor has officially introduced the model’s special version, the Levante Trofeo, which represents the pinnacle of performance from the Levante range.
A sleek supercar on stilts, the Levante Trofeo stands in the same league as the Lamborghini Urus and the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. At a quick glance, the Levante Trofeo may seem like a typical Levante, but there are distinct features that separate it from its regular sibling.
To begin with, the Trofeo has a more aggressive-looking front grille with double vertical bars in piano black, combined with large honeycomb-mesh-covered air ducts below and a generous amount of carbon fiber throughout the chin and the side air-intake fins. The carbon-fiber trim continues along the lower side skirts all the way to the wider-looking and sportier rear end, with more carbon-fiber bits highlighting the rear diffuser wrapped around the oval quad exhaust pipes.
For better engine cooling, two air vents are now located on the hood itself. As you move toward the rear-quarter panels, the Trofeo badges (with the famous Maserati trident) are affixed onto both sides to declare the vehicle’s identity. The two launch units had 21-inch forged-aluminum wheels, but the car can be had in bigger 22-inch ones.
Inside, you are welcomed by a cabin enveloped in premium full-grain leather called “Pieno Fiore,” which comes in red, black or tan. Embroidered on the headrests are the Trofeo emblems. According to Maserati, there’s nothing quite like this leather in the automotive industry in terms of natural feel and softness. And it apparently develops a unique character over time.
The stunning layout of the dashboard—combined with touches of carbon fiber in the lower center console and the door panels—creates a sporty and elegant look. Even the front-row floor mats have “Trofeo” printed on them. Both units displayed at the launch were equipped with premium audio systems (either Bowers & Wilkins or Harman Kardon).
Upon consulting a brand specialist at the showroom, clients can now configure how they want their units to look like. There are as many as 400 color options to choose from, and a client can even mix up colors to achieve a finish they’ll ultimately love, from body paint to brake caliper color.
Blasting the Levante Trofeo from a standstill to 100km/h in an impressive 3.9 seconds—before coming to a complete halt in a mere 34.5m courtesy of Brembo brakes—is a Ferrari-built 3.8-liter, twin-turbocharged V8 engine mated to an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox with paddle shifters. The powerplant is rated at 590hp and a hefty 730Nm of torque. This engine pushes the most horses per liter of fuel displacement within the entire Maserati inventory (156hp/L), making it the most powerful mill the trident brand has ever produced. It propels the sport-ute to a top speed of 304km/h.
All that power from the V8 is delivered to the pavement via the Q4 Intelligent All-Wheel Drive system. To accommodate all that muscle, Maserati engineers appropriately tuned the chassis to achieve the best driving and ride feel. Boasting a 50:50 weight distribution, a lowered center of gravity, the Maserati Skyhook suspension system and Integrated Vehicle Control for improved dynamics, the Levante Trofeo aims to deliver superb handling, exceptional comfort and lateral stability. In addition, a Corsa driving mode with launch control has been added to emphasize the car’s athletic character even further.
The Levante Trofeo is a marriage of two highly desirable elements: luxury SUV status and supercar performance. If you’re in the market for the ultimate sport-utility vehicle, go check out this Maserati (assuming your bank account has a disposable P15 million, that is).
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