Maserati is gearing up to take on the Porsche Cayenne with a new SUV, Fiat and Chrysler Group boss Sergio Marchionne has revealed.
The firm’s R&D boss, Harald Wester, revealed recently that Alfa will use the Jeep Grand Cherokee (pictured) platform as the basis for an upmarket SUV to rival the BMW X5. It would join the 159’s successor and a more affordable compact SUV as Alfa re-enters the US market in 2013.
Marchionne confirmed the plan for a large SUV in a conference call with journalists and then hinted that the platform — originally designed for the Mercedes M-class, R-class and GL back in the days of DaimlerChrysler — could also underpin a new Maserati.
Marchionne said: “One of the things we are now looking at in some detail is utilising this architecture and extending its application for future products both within Chrysler and outside Chrysler.”
Marchionne also revealed that he is looking closely at using existing Maserati engines in the new performance-orientated SUV. This sets up the possibility of the new SUV using the same Ferrari-produced V8 engines as the GranTurismo, GranCabrio and Quattroporte.
Greg Kable
Join the debate
Add your comment
Re: Maserati plans Cayenne rival
manicm
The Cayenne is extremely popular here in the Middle East and it must be a very good market for any large petrol SUV. Large SUVs are more common than just about anything else .
Folk have plenty of money . Petrol is about 20p a litre and no one gives a toss about diesels or global warming so driving a big petrol SUV has none of the stigmas or exhorbitant taxes/costs it has in Europe which actually is quite refreshing .
I also beleive China is a huge market for petrol cars too and the EU market is peanuts to the sales that are exported elsewhere .
Re: Maserati plans Cayenne rival
Its not slowing down in this country, because we have embraced the diesel engine, in the USA, its likely main target audience, they are starting to shy away from big petrol eating SUVs and looking at more compact vehicles and hybrids, hence the reason the Prius, the mini and the new Fiesta are selling well and the next gen Focus will be sold there as a world car.
The good old US of A has started to wake up in this era of austerity.
Re: Maserati plans Cayenne rival
Perhaps, but the current ML63 is a hopeless car (lesser models are good). The Grand Cherokee may be an advanced off-roader, but what percentage of Cayenne/X5/X6 owners do proper off-roading? How many?
I maintain Sergio is going to bite off more than he can chew.