Maserati Levante SUV to get 523bhp V8? Looks likely, but NOT for the UK

Maserati Levante SUV (pictured) to get 523bhp V8?

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The new Maserati Levante SUV only comes with a diesel or V6 petrol, but Maserati look to be on the way to offering a 523bhp V8 in the Levante.

But although the Levante comes with a choice of a 3.0 litre V6 petrol turbo in two states of tune (345bhp and 424bhp) and a 3.0 litre twin-turbo V6 with 272bhp – and a plug-in hybrid planned – there is no V8 option for the Levante. But that looks like it could change.

Autoblog has been bending the ear of a Maserati engineer who confessed that not only does the Maserati V8 from the Quattroporte fit in to the Levante, but Maserati are already running a prototype so equipped.

That raises the prospect of Maserati joining the super powerful SUV game, and trying to take on such mammoth SUVs as the Range Rover Sport SUV and Porsche Cayenne Turbo (and Turbo S). Which would be interesting.

Of course, just because Maserati are running a prototype Levante with the Quattroporte’s 523bhp V8, it doesn’t mean it will ever make production. But as a halo car – even with modest sales – for the Levante, it must surely have legs?

That said, with Maserati declining to sell the V6 petrol Levantes in the UK, it seems unlikely they’ll consider making RHD V8 Levantes even if they do decide to make it a production model.

Which is a bit of a shame.