Fiat S.p.A.’s ultra-luxury Maserati brand plans to build its first U.S.-made SUV at Chrysler Group’s Jefferson North assembly plant in Detroit. Hit the jump to read the rest of the story.
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A concept version of the model, which will be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, is due to be unveiled at the IAA in Frankfurt next month, said the person, who declined to be identified before the official announcement.
The American-made Maserati SUV is a product of the integration between Fiat and Chrysler. Sergio Marchionne, who runs both carmakers, aims to expand Maserati and sister brand Alfa Romeo by drawing on Fiat and Chrysler’s combined size to boost profit.
The strategy mimics Volkswagen AG’s blend of volume brands and high-margin luxury nameplates that’s helped Audi generate more than 40 percent of the group’s earnings from less than 20 percent of sales.
The project risks turning off fans of the brand’s sleek Italian styling and sporty reputation like Geoff Lancaster. The 61-year-old owner of a 4200 Spyder is concerned that a Jeep-based Maserati could fall flat like the TC project between Chrysler and the Italian carmaker in the late 1980s.
“The crucial thing is going to be how well they differentiate it from its Grand Cherokee roots,” said Lancaster, who works in London and has driven Maserati cars for the past seven years. “Maserati will have to wave their magic wand over it quite aggressively to make it competitive.”
