2021 Maserati Levante

The 2021 Maserati Levante has been in production since 2016 and is still in its first generation. Maserati was the first Italian luxury car manufacturer to enter the highly profitable world of luxury SUVs and has now been joined by Lamborghini, with the Urus, and Alfa Romeo, with the Stelvio. At the outset, we were not impressed by this family hauler, but over time, the Italian brand has added a ton of improvements, more power, and superior tech. The 2021 car is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter V6 gas engine that produces up to 424 horsepower and 428 lb-ft of torque, or a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 churning out an impressive 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque. The 2021 Levante SUV has always had that unique Italian flair to it that German competitors such as the Porsche Cayenne struggle to match, but is that enough in the US market, where practicality is just as important?

The 4-door 2021 Maserati Levante is powered by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter 6-cylinder engine in base guise, which delivers 345 hp and 369 lb-ft. An 8-speed automatic transmission paired with an all-wheel-drive system sends power to the wheels. The Levante S boosts performance to 424 hp and 428 lb-ft of torque. Finally, the GTS brings all the power thanks to a twin-turbo V8 engine producing 550 hp and 538 lb-ft of torque, if you're willing to pay for the poor fuel efficiency. The Levante will bolt to 60 mph in four seconds in GTS trim and reach a top speed of 181 mph.

When the Levante first showed face nearly five years ago, we were impressed with its sleek styling, but it let us down in terms of features and overall practicality. Now, in 2021, Maserati has done a lot to improve its luxury SUV experience. The Levante is still one of the best-looking luxury SUVs out there, and the interior is also rather stunning. Behind the wheel, it is dynamic and entertaining to drive, and that Ferrari-sourced twin-turbo V8 engine is a treat. At the lower end of the trim line, the Levante will struggle against much more affordable competitors, and competitors such as the BMW X5 M and GLE 63 are simply superior performance vehicles. As with most luxury cars, you won't find an official safety rating review of the 2021 Maserati Levante. If you're looking for Italian flair and SUV practicality, we'd recommend the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Which one of the two will offer the best reliability is up to the car gods.

We recommend the mid-range Levante S, which benefits from a decent power upgrade (424 hp and 428 lb-ft). This model also gains a few subtle exterior additions, such as red brake calipers. As far as optional extras go, we'd include the Driver Assistance Package, which adds features like a surround-view camera, traffic sign recognition, active driving assist, and pedestrian recognition. If we were buying, we'd get one in black or red. You can expect the price of the 2021 Maserati Levante SUV in this configuration to be around $100k.