Fiat SpA has?announced plans?to build a new Maserati sport utility vehicle at? its Chrysler, Jefferson North Assembly Plant. Fiat, which bought the 97-year-old brand in 1993, struggled to?deal with the?premium brand?s?losses until 2007, when ?Maserati finally?returned to ?profitiblity.
The new Detroit built SUV will be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform.? It will also?be sold worldwide. Maserati says that it?will be?ready to unveil a concept of the luxury SUV at the Frankfurt motor show in September. It?would be Maserati?s first American built vehicle.
Demand for luxury SUVs has nearly doubled since 2000 as high-end carmakers target the lucrative niche. BMW AG introduced the X1 in 2009, expanding its lineup to four SUVs. Audi introduced the Q3 this year, and Tata Motors Ltd. unveiled the Range Rover Evoque. VW?s Bentley is also considering an SUV.
A number?of industry critics have questioned whether the Chrysler plant will be able to turn a Jeep Cherokee into a vehicle that lives up to Maserati?s premium culture. ?The important point is that whatever Maserati we launch will be a product that respects the entire heritage, image, characteristics, and customer expectations of this brand,? Harald Wester, Maserati?s CEO, said. ?What ends up in the dealer shops should be 100 percent Maserati.?
(Source: Detroit Press)
Source: http://www.carnationcanada.com/blog/blog/chrysler-build-maserati/
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