It was difficult to envision a bright future for Maserati just a couple of years ago. The Italian automaker had only three products in its lineup, with all of them struggling to perform in a competitive market. Although the design was there, the product quality was not.

The 590-hp Maserati Levante Trofeo, for instance, finished fifth out of five in a MotorTrend comparison that included the BMW X3 M and X6 M Competition, Mercedes-AMG GLE63S, and Porsche Cayenne Turbo Coupe. To say the marque was underperforming was an understatement.