Maserati making SUV in Detroit with Ferrari Engine?
 

Really?

http://i2.cdn.turner.com/money/2011/...kubang.top.jpg

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) -- The same Detroit factory workers who today are building Jeep Grand Cherokees and Dodge Durangos should soon also be assembling a new SUV for Maserati that will have an engine produced by Ferrari.

The Maserati Kubang SUV, officially still a concept car, was unveiled Tuesday at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany.

Sergio Marchionne, chief executive of both Chrysler and Fiat, had previously mentioned plans to build a Jeep-based Maserati SUV in the same Detroit factory that now makes the Durango and the Grand Cherokee.

Luxury automaker Maserati is owned by Fiat, the Italian company that rescued Chrysler Group from bankruptcy. Chrysler Group makes Dodge and Jeep vehicles.

(http://money.cnn.com/2011/09/12/auto...htm?&hpt=hp_c2)

saw that, looks OK :2 cents:

Looks pretty nice! I am pretty sure I will never own one though

With an attitude like that no, you never will.

this is how you kill maserati....

Built on the new GrandCherokee platform, Ferrari Engine, Maserati interior and design...finally a real SUV.

Italians do it better.

huuummmm...? aren't all Maserati's equipped with Ferrari engines????

Yes. I believe they are.

What I'm wondering is why Maserati wants a vehicle built by UAW.

Damn! that thing looks cool!

I would love to see pics of the inside. Nothing on the Masi site yet either.

Very few SUV looks nice. I like the VW Toureg, Porsche Cayenne, Jeep Cherokee SRT8.

This Maserati looks just like a Nissan Murano. Such a waste of time.

SUV's are useless car models, and gay.

Yup, that's what it reminded me of, a Nissan:2 cents:

Mixed emotions, buddy. Like Larry Wildman going off a cliff in my new Maserati.






.

Reminds me of a mazda cx-7

Looks like they got a Porsche Cayenne and glued a load of Maserati tat to it.

economies of scale, in Detroit, the small numbers of this vehicle that will be made will require no plant expansion, and because of re used platforms and parts, the plant will require few changes and retrofits. It will allow them to build these way cheaper than if they had to build a new plant, or expand one. I am guessing that Maserati's are traditionally quite a bit more "hand made" than Cherokee's. This will allow them to shed the cost of that, and produce the vehicle in a factory who's robots have pumped out a few million units, and avoid some of the hiccups that would happen if they did it themselves.

I think it looks pretty nice, if it is made in Detroit, it will likely be slightly cheaper to buy than otherwise, and will have a bigger profit margin for Fiat. I think the only real question is, will Maserati lovers accept a vehicle made in Detroit?