Photo: Maserati
As you already know, Maserati is in a bit of a slump from a commercial standpoint. The Mirafiori plant where the House of the Trident makes the Levante went temporarily offline because the mid-size SUV isn’t selling too well, and this got the Italian automaker thinking. About a more affordable sport utility vehicle that is, and it won’t surprise you one bit.
As Alfa Romeo gears up to introduce its second SUV in 2018 in the form of the Levante-based Tipo 949, Maserati looks forward to a sub-Levante model that head honcho Reid Bigland describes as being “mid-size.” The yet-to-be-named crossover is expected to ride on the Stelvio’s Giorgio platform, meaning that Maserati is eyeing the premium compact segment.
Speaking to Motor1, the chief executive officer made the curious comment that there “isn’t any big rush” for Maserati to launch the sub-Levante utility vehicle. Anticipated to launch by 2020, the newcomer promises to be “sufficiently differentiated” from the Alfa Romeo-badged counterpart, though that’s easier said than done considering the ways of Fiat Chrysler.
Is Maserati right about diluting the brand with an even smaller model or will the all-new model help the automaker’s sales in SUV-crazy markets such as the United States of America and People’s Republic of China? Considering the cash-strapped condition Fiat Chrysler finds itself in, the more likely resolve of the two mentioned above is the increase in sales.
The rear-/all-wheel-drive Giorgio platform was developed with four- and six-cylinder engines in mind, with the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio packing a Ferrari-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. It’s not hard to anticipate how high the engine options list will go in the case of the Maserati-badged SUV, but a lot can happen by the end of the decade.
According to the latest of reports, the most immediate courses of action over at the House of the Trident is to hybridize the Levante, give it a performance-oriented twin-turbo V8 engine, and to overhaul the GranTurismo/GranCabrio. Another project Maserati is currently working on is the Alfieri, which will be aimed squarely at the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911.
Speaking to Motor1, the chief executive officer made the curious comment that there “isn’t any big rush” for Maserati to launch the sub-Levante utility vehicle. Anticipated to launch by 2020, the newcomer promises to be “sufficiently differentiated” from the Alfa Romeo-badged counterpart, though that’s easier said than done considering the ways of Fiat Chrysler.
Is Maserati right about diluting the brand with an even smaller model or will the all-new model help the automaker’s sales in SUV-crazy markets such as the United States of America and People’s Republic of China? Considering the cash-strapped condition Fiat Chrysler finds itself in, the more likely resolve of the two mentioned above is the increase in sales.
The rear-/all-wheel-drive Giorgio platform was developed with four- and six-cylinder engines in mind, with the Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio packing a Ferrari-designed 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. It’s not hard to anticipate how high the engine options list will go in the case of the Maserati-badged SUV, but a lot can happen by the end of the decade.
According to the latest of reports, the most immediate courses of action over at the House of the Trident is to hybridize the Levante, give it a performance-oriented twin-turbo V8 engine, and to overhaul the GranTurismo/GranCabrio. Another project Maserati is currently working on is the Alfieri, which will be aimed squarely at the likes of the Mercedes-AMG GT and Porsche 911.
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