2023 Maserati Levante Performance

For the most performance-oriented Levante, you want the Trofeo, which we review separately. In the normal range, the Modena S also packs a powerful punch. This particular model is powered by a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, good for 550 horsepower and 538 lb-ft of torque. It's mated to an eight-speed automatic that sends the power to an all-wheel-drive system. The added traction and smooth shifting allow the Modena S to sprint to 60 mph in 4.0 seconds and on to a top speed of 181 mph. Although the manufacturer doesn't stipulate an official towing capacity, owners should be able to hitch up to 5,952 lbs with the Trailer Tow package installed.

Lesser models are equipped with a twin-turbocharged V6. In the base Levante GT, it delivers a disappointing 345 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque. The relatively low power output is reflected in the sedate 5.8 seconds 0 to 60 mph sprint and a top speed of 156 mph. The mid-range Levante Modena and F Tributo are equipped with the same engine, but with power boosted to 424 hp and 428 lb-ft. These models have a 0-60 mph time of five seconds dead and a top speed of 164 mph.

Spec for spec, the Levante runs it close with the Porsche Cayenne, long regarded as the segment leader. But it is weak when non-performance variants of the BMW X5 thoroughly trounce your supposed performance SUV. The 40i models will easily outsprint the base model, while the 523 hp M50i will obliterate a Levante Modena. And even though it's $20,000 cheaper, the X5M will run rings around the Levante Modena S and its Ferrari sourced twin-turbo V8.

The base engine is a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 that produces 345 hp and 369 lb-ft. Output-wise, it's just not good enough, and the eight-speed gearbox has to work extra hard to get any sort of reasonable performance out of it. As hard as the magnificent gearbox tries, even it can't overcome the relatively low power output and high curb weight. It wouldn't be as bad if it weren't for the high price. Imagine paying $81,200 for a Maserati SUV, only to be trounced by a soccer dad in his Dodge Durango SRT. That's going to sting.

The same can be said of the Levante Modena, even though it ups the power to 424 hp and 428 lb-ft. These figures would have been impressive ten years ago, but we now live in a world where a $47,000 Ford Explorer ST packs a 400-hp punch.

Maserati's Levante had to soldier on with these two engines (and a short-lived diesel elsewhere in the world) for three years before a twin-turbo V8 was introduced. The Modena S has the kind of power output we've come to expect from performance SUVs, providing 550 hp and 538 lb-ft. This bad boy has enough grunt to embarrass some sports cars, unlike the entry-level models, which would likely be humiliated by something as mundane as a well-driven Audi A6 allroad.

There isn't a single performance SUV known for having impressive gas mileage figures - other than the Tesla Model X, if you want to be technical about it. The Maserati doesn't disappoint, then, consuming copious amounts of fuel from the base model upwards. The EPA claims the same consumption figures for both the GT and the Modena at 16/22/18 mpg city/highway/combined. The twin-turbo V8 of the Modena S naturally fares much worse, with EPA estimates of 13/20/16 mpg.

Thanks to a sizeable 21.1-gallon tank, the V8 should be able to do 338 miles between refills, while the V6 should manage 380 miles, at least.