What's the news?
Maserati, which has a long association with the Goodwood Festival of Speed (an event which celebrated is 25th birthday over the past weekend, incidentally) has chosen the Sussex-based car-nut jamboree to launch its latest, and potentially greatest, Levante - the V8-engined GTS model.
That means the Levante gets the V90 3.8-litre turbo V8 engine, developing 550hp and peak torque of 730Nm. It's not quite the same engine that goes into Ferrari's 488 GTB, but it's very closely related, and is in fact built by Ferrari, on Maseratis' behalf. It drives all four wheels (natch) through Maserati's Q4 system, and an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
In spite of being a massive, luxurious SUV, the Levante GTS is pretty blooming rapid as a result - 4.2 seconds 0-100km/h, and a top speed of 292km/h. Not for nothing does Maserati claim that it's "a modern supercar disguised in a high-end SUV body."
Inside, you can have (as an extra) full-grain Pieno Fiore natural leather seats, sports alloy pedals, and a banging Harman Kardon Audio system with 14 speakers. Alongside the GTS, Maserati was also showing off some other Levante updates, including the European debut of the ultra-hot Trofeo model, and some equipment updates for the rest of the range. Those include Integrated Vehicle Control (IVC), which is already fitted to the Quattroporte and Ghibli saloons, and which is now standard on all Levantes. Basically, it's a more proactive version of stability control, which tweaks the car's handling and attitude as you drive, rather than waiting for a loss of grip or control.
The Ghibli and Quattroporte have also been updated, and were making their debuts on the Maserati stand at Goodwood. The updates include a new shifter and manual override system for the eight-speed automatic gearbox, and an upgraded MTC+ infotainment system. That Pieno Fiore natural leather is also now available on the saloons. There are also new paint options, including two high-end triple-coat choices; Rosso Potente and Blu Nobile, plus new alloy wheel options, which stretch to a massive 22-inch Orione forged aluminium wheel for the Levante Trofeo and GTS.
You can also have the 'Nerissimo package' which has been updated for this year. It is now available in a wider range of new model-specific colours, combining black elements with dark LED headlights, tail lights and exhaust tips, black chrome detail finishing and new wheels with dark finish.