Modena's first utility vehicle should have been boring crossover gussied up with contrived Italian drama. Instead, it's the best car Maserati has made in decades.

Finally, belatedly, I'm forced to admit that the crossover-ification of America is a fait accompli. An overwhelming number of drivers want ride height and the safe, superior feeling it contrives, even without meaningful benefit to passenger- or cargo-hauling ability and invariably at the expense of performance, aesthetic, and character. If you build it tall, they will come, and woe be to the manufacturer that ignores the potential for market share. There's no room anymore for a carmaker that only builds sports cars; specialization is simply a recipe for extinction.

But the move to crossovers (or as they’re increasingly mischaracterized, “SUVs”) favors some niche manufacturers more than others. If you’re Rolls-Royce or Bentley, with a more-is-more customer base expecting imperial conveyance, cubic yards of luxury, and express-train acceleration, bigger vehicles provide more canvas on which to paint. If you're Lamborghini or Aston Martin? Well, we'll soon find out.

2018 Maserati Levante Review

2018 Maserati Levante Sq4 Price Guide

The 2018 Maserati Levante is powered by a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 rated at 345 hp and 369 lb-ft of torque in the base Levante Q4 and 424 hp and 428 lb-ft in the Levante S Q4. Citizen navitach manual online. New 2018 Maserati Levante SQ4 GranSport Stock # W491 in Westport, CT at Maserati of Westport, CT's premier pre-owned luxury car dealership. Come test drive a Maserati today! Roadside Assistance.