Fiat chief exec, Sergio Marchionne, has confirmed that Maserati is indeed preparing three new models: a successor to the Quattroporte, a smaller Maserati, and the production Kubang, rumored to be called the Cinqueporte. Moreover, these three models will debut in rapid succession, which is a good thing considering Maserati is keeping mum on which model will be launched first.
"We are being a bit secretive over what you get first because it has implications for the industrial footprint of the group," said Marchionne. "You see, there is a site in Modena that makes the Quattroporte, there’s some debate what happens to that plant after Quattroporte. There is sufficient commonality in what we’re doing between the smaller car and the bigger one that we can do what we want."
Of course, that doesn’t mean that people aren’t going to throw their two cents in. It is believed that the first vehicle to arrive will be the Quattroporte, followed by the Kubang, and then the baby Maserati. It is already known that the Kubang will be heavily based on Jeep Grand Cherokee and that the four-door baby Maserati will be built on a Chrysler 300 platform, but Marchionne says that the four-door will have a completely different suspension and that the engine are "totally Ferrari/Maserati."
Now that Maserati has unveiled the Kubang concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show everyone knows that the production version is just around the corner. The only question is: will it keep the Kubang name? Apparently no! It has been reported that the company has just filed a patent application in Europe for the name "Cinqueporte" - that of course will be used for a five-door car.
That make us believe that the future SUV will carry the "Cinqueporte" moniker - unless of course Maserati has something else planned that has managed to keep to itself until now. A very strange choice we might add considering the SUV will be built in the US at Chrysler’s Jefferson North plant in Detroit, MI.
The SUV will be built on a Jeep Grand Cherokee platform and will be powered by a 4.7-liter V-8 unit capable of about 450-hp, coupled with ZF’s eight-speed automatic transmission. For Europe Maserati will also be offering a VM Motori’s 3.0-liter V-6 with power increased to over 300 HP. The Maserati SUV will be launched on the market in 2013.
Maserati was already late in the sporty SUV game when it first debuted the Kubang Concept back in 2003, and now the Italian luxury car maker is hoping we forget about the eight year long hiatus their SUV has taken to reintroduce the Kubang at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show. Tsk, tsk, Maserati. It’s one thing to bring about a second concept of the same vehicle (look at Toyota’s FT-86), but it is quite another to ignore the laid back attitude taken in developing it.
Regardless of the misguided marketing ploys, the new Kubang Concept is here again with a more modern interpretation and a promise that, this time, the concept previews a new sport luxury SUV that will be used to enlarge Maserati’s product range and strengthen its presence in the sport luxury market. The new Kubang was created by the Maserati Style Center headed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti and despite its Jeep platform, is supposed to be all Maserati. Everything from the style, engine, suspension, brakes, handling, and performance is said to be in continuity with the brand’s core values of sportiness, style, elegance, luxury, performance and craftsmanship.
Maserati has also promised that the production version will be powered by a new-generation high-tech Maserati proprietary engine designed in Modena by Paolo Martinelli and produced in Maranello by Ferrari. The SUV will also receive a new AT 8 speed automatic transmission and specific performance settings set to the configurations of the suspension, brakes, and steering exclusively developed in Modena by the Maserati Product Development Department.
Updated 09/28/2011: Maserati has unveiled a first official video for the Kubang concept who made its world debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. A production version will be built in Detroit and will be put on sale sometime in 2013. Until then enjoy the concept in action!
The Kubang takes its name from a Javan wind and has a 4.2-liter V-8 sending 390 horsepower to all four wheels. Maserati claims a 0-to-60-mph time of 5.5 seconds and a top speed of 158 mph. The six-speed transmission is, as in the Maserati Coupe and Spyder, paddle-shifted. There’s room for four, five, or six passengers depending on seating options, and a large hatch and fold-down rear deck open wide for swallowing cargo. We suppose the idea of a Maserati wagon is no more objectionable than a Porsche SUV, and Maserati will probably need to round out its product portfolio to ensure its continued success in the North American market. Full story
