As it currently stands, the Maserati Levante lineup offers a wide array of power levels. The diesel offers 275 horsepower, the base gasoline-powered Levante offers 345, the Levante S has 424, and the mack-daddy Trofeo boasts 590. But Maserati is adding yet another choice, the GTS, with 550 horses.

Maserati bills the GTS, a label also used on the flagship Quattroporte sedan, as the “quintessential V-8 Levante.” The shared name is fitting, as the engine under the hood of the Levante is derived from that in the Quattroporte. It is a twin-turbocharged 3.8-liter V-8 that has been re-engineered for the SUV. Its 550 horsepower arrives at 6250 rpm, and its 538 lb-ft of torque comes on stream at 2500 rpm. Perhaps more impressively, this engine is assembled by Ferrari in Maranello, Italy.

View Photos Car and Driver

Compared with the version in the Quattroporte, the Levante GTS V-8 has a new crankcase, a new oil pump, a new auxiliary belt, and reworked wiring. The cylinder heads were also redesigned to fit new camshafts and valves for a better blend: more power while maintaining efficiency. The pistons and connecting rods were also redesigned.

The engine is paired with an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. It is operated with a new gear selector that can switch between automated manual and automatic modes and has a new park button. It sends the V-8’s oomph to all four wheels. Maserati’s Q4 intelligent all-wheel-drive system is set up to operate mostly in rear-drive mode, but slippery surfaces can trigger up to 50 percent of the torque being redirected to the front wheels. A standard limited-slip differential and torque vectoring further increase the Levante GTS’s abilities.

View Photos Car and Driver

The air-spring suspension and adaptive dampers have been tuned to handle the extra power and weight of the V-8 powertrain (claimed to be 132 pounds). The GTS is stopped by six-piston monoblock front calipers squeezing 15.0-inch rotors with 13.0-inch rotors at the rear.

Visually, the exterior of the GTS is similar to that of the Trofeo, but it does adopt uniquely designed 20-inch wheels (21- or 22-inch wheels are optional). Inside, leather is the name of the game. The sport seats, door panels, lower dashboard, and armrest are covered in black, red, tan, or beige hides. A full-grain Pieno Fiore leather is optional, as are a microsuede headliner and contrast stitching.

Dealers are ready to accept your order now, with deliveries expected to start in October. The GTS starts at $121,475, a full $50,000 less than the starting price of a Trofeo. It’s not cheap, but it is the least expensive way to get an SUV that boasts a Ferrari engine.

View Photos Car and Driver

This content is created and maintained by a third party, and imported onto this page to help users provide their email addresses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io