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2019 Maserati Levante Trofeo / GTS First Drive Review | Yes, you want the Ferrari V8

CARMEL-BY-THE-SEA, Calif. — The wine glasses are rapidly draining. It's getting late, and Maserati design chief Klaus Busse appears to be fighting a cold. Yet he can't resist sketching something on a menu to illustrate his point. The A6GCS quickly takes shape. One of the most celebrated Maseratis ever, Busse uses this beacon to reconcile the Italian marque's transition to crossovers. It's how he explains and rationalizes the Levante, a stylish SUV aimed directly at the Porsche Cayenne, BMW X6 and Mercedes GLE Coupe. The A6GCS, a rare, Pininfarina-built sports car, lives on in today's Maseratis, he argues. This includes the Levante, a handsome crossover aimed at suburban cruisers bored with the notion of German luxury. Can a brand with rich sporting heritage reconcile with evolving market trends? It must, even if the connection to a mythical 1950s racer is a bit tenuous. But a pair of Ferrari-powered V8 twins, the Levante GTS and Levante Trofeo, make that progression easier. Prodigious outputs of 550 and 590 horsepower help. They are the top-shelf Levantes. You buy them when the powerful twin-turbo V6 Levante and Levante S simply won't do. You're talking six-figure prices, decadent interiors and more than a bit of bling. Well-heeled professionals drive the Levante, which starts at $75,980 and packs 345 hp, or pony up $11,000 for the Levante S and its 424 horses. The V8 starts at $119,980 for the GTS, and the Trofeo comes in at a lofty $169,980. These buyers haven't just made it, they're likely set for life. "We're not in the boy racer clientele," Busse says. "There's a certain level of accomplishment that you feel in driving a Maserati." That's probably true. But should the Trofeo be associated with generational wealth? I'm pondering this as I pull a hard right, kick up some dirt and pull onto the Pacific Coast Highway. The ocean laps to my left as the eight cylinders unlimber and I find myself reaching 60 miles per hour with little effort. The quoted time is 3.7 seconds, which feels dead on. I cue up Corsa, the sportiest of the Levante's drive modes, one that's only available on the Trofeo. The road is winding. I fall into a rhythm as I make my way up the coast toward Big Sur. The car's selling point is the engine, but the Skyhook suspension with electronically controlled damping keeps this 4,784-pound SUV reasonably tied down and poised. The cabin is quiet, as expected for the segment, allowing for easy conversation.

Maserati Levante shows Kubang inspiration in leaked images

One of the most anticipated debuts at next month's Geneva Motor Show comes from Maserati, which is set to show its first crossover. A major part of the brand's revival, the new Levante will be challenged to strike the right chord in an increasingly competitive segment. That's not the new Levante at the top of the page. It's the Kubang Concept on which it's based. The leaked shots come from the Dutch Auto Week – like our Autoweek, but taller – and include six shots that we're betting were in a tin labeled "Do not open until March 1." They provide a great look at the new crossover from a range of angles, and include a shot of a very, very red cabin. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We see a great deal of Kubang concept around the headlights, although it's clear Maser's designers evolved the Levante's grille to better match the Ghibli sedan. It's more chiseled and strong, part of which can be blamed on the chrome slats – the Kubang's grille slats were just black. The rear fender and shoulder lines look like they've almost been lifted straight from the Ghibli, while the roofline and rear window give the impression that Maserati is favoring sporty looks over any real utility. We're unable to post the leaked Levante images here, but we'd strongly suggest you give them a look over at Auto Week. And stay tuned for the official info on the Levante, when it gets its grand debut early next month. Related Video:

Share price falls on skepticism of Chrysler-Fiat five-year plan

Following this week's Fiat Chrysler extravaganza, where the Italian-American manufacturer announced its plans for the next five years, the Autoblog staff was cautiously optimistic of the company's future. Investors? Not so much.
Fiat saw its shares tumble 12 percent in Wednesday's trading, falling from 8.67 euros ($12.06 at today's rates) to 7.44 euros ($10.35) as of this writing, with blame partly going to the Italian half of the FCA marriage, which recorded a pretty significant drop in profits during the first quarter of this year.
The plan, which will cost around $77 billion over the next several years, is facing criticism from investors thanks in part to a 1.4-percent drop in Fiat's first-quarter profits, to 622 million euros ($862 million). That figure is also short of Bloomberg analysts' projections, which predicted $1.18 billion in profits before taxes, interest and one-time items.