2007 Maserati Quattroporte Automatic Automatic 4-door Sedan on 2040-cars

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Maserati rules out smaller Macan rival

These days every luxury automaker is going after the Porsche Cayenne with a crossover of its own. Among those coming up is the Maserati Levante, which will mark the Trident marque's first foray into high-riding territory. But don't expect it to follow up with a Macan rival as well. Speaking with Autocar, Maserati chief Harald Wester ruled out the possibility of a smaller crossover to join the Levante in the Modenese automaker's lineup, ostensibly because doing so would step on the toes of other brands under the Fiat Chrysler umbrella – particularly with Alfa Romeo set to launch a crossover of its own. "We are an extremely complex multi-brand group and to have every doing a little bit of everything is not the right way," Wester told the British magazine. "In this business, you should never say 'no' in a dogmatic way, but my personal opinion is that Maserati wouldn't want to go below the Levante in size." And Wester's opinion goes a long way in the halls in Turin and Auburn Hills: he's head of both the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands, and is also the group's Chief Technology Officer. That's something that has never seemed to deter the Volkswagen Group, though, where Bentley is gearing up to take on its sister company's Cayenne with the upcoming Bentayga and is also said to be considering a Macan rival. And that's to say nothing of other SUVs occupying similar size and price positions from Volkswagen, Audi and potentially Lamborghini. Which only serves to underline the different approaches taken by Europe's two largest automakers. Look for the Levante to debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.

Maserati adding two more high-performance Trofeo models to the lineup

Two years ago, Maserati introduced its first high-performance Trofeo trim level to the 2019 Levante crossover. With its 590-horsepower twin-turbo V8, it became the most powerful Maserati in the lineup. It seems it will have company soon, as Maserati teased on Twitter the addition of Ghibli and Quattroporte Trofeo sedans. Besides announcing the new models, the company released a single teaser image and a reveal date. We can infer some things based on the existing Levante Trofeo, though. The Quattroporte Trofeo will undoubtedly get the same 590-horsepower V8, since it already has a low-output 523-horsepower version of the engine. The Ghibli could possibly get the V8, too, since it shares its basic underpinnings with the other two cars. Having a 590-horsepower compact sports sedan would be quite the feather in Maserati's cap, since it would outgun everything else in the segment. That being said, even lower-output versions of the V8 in the Ghibli would be exciting. These Trofeo models will also let the world know they're the fastest versions of their respective nameplates. The Levante Trofeo features the most aggressive bodywork of any Levante, and that will surely translate to the sedans. Hopefully Maserati will also see fit to provide the Trofeo sedans with upgraded suspension and brakes to handle the extra power. We should have most of the details soon. The reveal date for these high-speed Maseratis is August 10. Related Video:

Pony cars, trucks and Italian SUVs | Autoblog Podcast #552

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Senior Editor Alex Kierstein and Associate Editor Reese Counts. We discuss the updated 2019 Chevy Camaro Turbo 1LE variant, the new 2019 GMC Sierra Denali, and the Ferrari-powered Maserati Levante GTS. We also debate whether Volkswagen should build the Atlas-based Tanoak pickup truck and what a delay means for the next-gen Ford Mustang. Finally, we answer a reader question about the state of Lexus.Autoblog Podcast #552 Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown 2019 Chevy Camaro Turbo 1LE 2019 GMC Sierra 2019 Maserati Levante GTS Should Volkswagen build the Tanoak? Next-gen Ford Mustang delayed The past, present and future of Lexus Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Podcasts Chevrolet Ford GM GMC Lexus Maserati RAM Truck Coupe SUV Luxury Performance