Maserati to Launch Three Products in Next 24 Months

Maserati will launch three new products in the next two years, the company said in a press release this morning. No vehicles were named, but it's of no consequence: We know that the Kubang SUV has been approved for production, and that a new Quattroporte and a baby Quattroporte are on the way. The Kubang is based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee—don't mock too hard, since the Mercedes-Benz M- and GL-classes share much of this architecture, too. It will use an updated version of Maserati's Ferrari-built V-8 engine, with direct fuel injection, an engine stop-start system, and an eight-speed auto. The Kubang will be built alongside the Grand Cherokee and the Dodge Durango in Detroit, at Chrysler's Jefferson North facility. A new Quattroporte will debut sometime in the next year, also using the revised V-8. Expect it to be more competitive with its rivals; the current QP went on sale in 2004 and as such has become a bit dated. Perhaps most exciting is the smaller four-door Maser. The company has previously said that production of the baby QP will begin in December 2012, and we think it'll be called Levante. About the size of an Audi A6 or BMW 5-series, the car likely will fit a turbocharged variant of Chrysler's Pentastar V-6 in its engine bay. Maserati's announcement today also mentioned that starting in May 2013, an unnamed Alfa Romeo model will be built alongside the Maserati GranTurismo in Italy, at a rate of about 2500 a year. We assume this is an allusion to the Alfa 4C sports car, but we're skeptical that the roadster will ever be produced. And if it does become reality, we won't hold our breath for the perpetually delayed brand to return to the U.S. in time. from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com

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