With its all-new Levante, Maserati is making luxury crossover and SUV buyers an offer (it hopes) they can’t refuse. As the Italian brand’s first foray into the hotly contested segment, the mid-sized SUV will try to muscle in on rivals such as the Porsche Cayenne and the BMW X5. With Maserati now having released full pricing for the new model, we configured a Levante that would garner maximum respect.

MODEL:
Maserati Levante S (base price: $84,250)
Starting at $73,250 for the base model, the Levante comes standard with all-wheel drive and a 345-hp 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged V-6; however, a more powerful Levante S is also available, and when you’re the one pulling the strings, you understand that there’s no such thing as too much power. That’s why we’re opting for the latter model. With 424 horsepower routed to all four wheels, the SUV’s more potent 3.0-liter twin-turbo V-6 will help it run from 0 to 60 mph in a claimed 5.0 seconds flat. Shifting duties are delegated to a standard ZF eight-speed automatic transmission that assists in getting the Levante S to a top speed of 164 mph?which ought to be plenty fast enough to outrun any threats encountered on the Long Beach Causeway.
OPTIONS:
Zegna package ($7000)
Driver Assistance Package Plus ($3000)
Carbon fiber interior trim ($2850)
20-inch wheels ($1800)
Adaptive HID headlights ($500)
Red brake calipers ($300)
Not wanting to look like a jabroni, we decided it best to go all ou...