If there’s anything the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio has taught us, it’s that there’s plenty of room for high-performance SUVs in the premium SUV market. Now, it seems that Alfa Romeo’s sister brand, Maserati, is gearing up to join in on the fun as the Italian automaker has expressed interest in launching a high-performance version of the Levante SUV.
Maserati global operations chief Alberto Cavaggioni made the proclamation, telling Autocar that the company is open to the possibility, provided that it can make a good business case for it. Ah yes, that all-too familiar “business case” phrase. It’s the automotive equivalent of “we’ll see” that parents tell their children when the little ones want to buy a toy.
On a more serious note, Cavaggioni pointed out that Maserati has the capability to introduce a performance version of the Levante SUV. For one, it has a 3.8-liter V-8 engine that it can use for the SUV. It’s the same engine that powers the Quattroporte sedan and it’s good for 523 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, putting it right smack in the middle of the 505-horsepower Alfa Romeo Stelvio QV and the 542-horsepower Jaguar F-Pace SVR.
The concern – because there always has to be one – is whether a high-performance Levante can move the needle in a market that’s become increasingly more competitive. It’s not just the Stelvio QV and the F-Pace SVR that Maserati has to contend with. Other models like BMW’s entire lineup of M SUVs also populate the segment, as does Mercedes-AMG with the likes of the AMG GLE. Even Audi has expressed interest in beefing up its RS line to add more SUVs into the mix.
If Maserati does push forward with a performance version of the Levante, Cavaggioni says that it needs to be “justified by volumes.” It’s admittedly easier said than done, but given how so many brands have already made that leap, Maserati may not have a choice but to take that plunge since it has a lot riding on the SUV to carry the company in the next few years.
It’s especially more crucial for a performance Levante to enter the fray in light of conflicting reports regarding the status of both GranTurismo and GranCabrio models. Remember, Maserati Europe general manager Giulio Pastore told Autocar that both the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models will get updated in 2018 and 2019, respectively. But a new report from Car Magazine also quotes Pastore hinting that Maserati could go three years (2018 to 2020) without a sports car in its lineup.
Whatever happens to both the GranTurismo and GranCabrio models, one thing appears clear, at least from the outside. A high-performance Levante SUV is an important model for the Italian automaker. The only question is whether Maserati wants to make that leap.
Continue after the jump to read the full story.
from Top Speed http://ift.tt/2hjuCtk
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