Poor old Maserati. Late to the SUV party after its competitors from BMW, Audi and Mercedes, it then breezed in with the Levante; which wasn't good enough, despite early promise, to draw people from what they knew.
Perhaps the 190mph Trofeo will prove the ticket when it arrives in the UK. For those customers who are never satisfied, however, there's this: the Novitec Esteso V2, a Levante with "even more thrilling looks" and a "significant boost in performance".
Let's deal with the latter first. From the standard Levante Trofeo's 580hp and 538lb ft, this Novitec car is now making 624hp and 605lb ft; bear in mind that a Ferrari GTC4 Lusso Tproduces 610hp and 561lb ft and you get some idea of how much power is on offer. Novitec says it's sufficient for a 3.8-second sprint to 62mph, taking three tenths from the standard car, and nudging the speed up a few points to 192mph. By our figures that makes it just about Urus quick, and for impact a widebody Levante might even surpass the Lamborghini...
The Esteso kit is made of eight pieces, adding 10cm to the width at the front and 12cm at the rear; overall this Levante is 2.09m across, so good luck with any seven-foot width restrictors. Especially so given the kit has mandated new wheels: 22-inches at each corner, 295-section at the front, 335-section behind, impact heightened by a new air suspension module dropping ride height by an inch. Those unsated by the mere width will be pleased to know that a carbon bonnet accent and rear spoiler are also offered.
So that's that, Novitec doing what Novitec always does, only now with a Levante. Given where the demand apparently seems to lie at the moment for modified cars - in making silly SUVs that little bit sillier - then it's an entirely understandable and logical move. Intrigued? One or two Levante Trofeos have made it over to Britain already - a widebody might look quite good in red...
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