TURIN -- Maserati's profits and volumes will recover after the brand launches its first SUV next year, says Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne.
The large SUV, called the Levante, is expected to debut in January at the Detroit auto show. U.S. sales will begin next summer.
Ghibli, Quattroporte: Maserati's Ghibli midsize sedan and Quattroporte flagship sedan, both introduced in the U.S. in 2013, will undergo no major changes through 2018. Technologies will be added for the 2016 model year, including blind-spot detection, hands-free trunk lid, an Ermenegildo Zegna high trim level and a Harman Kardon entertainment system.
Levante: Preproduction at FCA's Mirafiori plant in Turin began in July. Full production starts around the time the SUV debuts in January in Detroit.
Maserati's first SUV has been redesigned from the Kubang concept unveiled four years ago at the Frankfurt auto show. The Levante , a five-seater, will share powertrain offerings with the Ghibli, thus will be available with a V-6 diesel and Ferrari-built V-6 and V-8 gasoline engines capable of up to 580 hp. A plug-in hybrid will follow.
Maserati Alfieri coupe concept
Alfieri: Maserati unveiled a lightweight two-seat coupe concept at the 2014 Geneva auto show to rival Porsche's 911 Turbo and the Jaguar F-Type.
The production Alfieri, initially due in 2016 and now slated for 2017, will be powered by a beefed-up version of the Quat-troporte V-8. It will be mounted in the front behind the axle, and the gearbox will be in the rear -- a typical Maserati transaxle layout.
A convertible variant, announced for 2017, likely will be axed because of falling global convertible sales and virtually no demand for such vehicles in China.
GranTurismo: A redesign of the four-seat coupe is due in 2018, sharing its underpinnings and powertrain with the Ghibli. The GranTurismo convertible could be redesigned a year later.
Send us a letter
Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.
