Fiat set to build Maserati, Alfa Romeo SUVs in Turin

[nruggiero]

Fiat set to build Maserati, Alfa Romeo SUVs in Turin
Automotive News Europe
February 4, 2013
by Luca Ciferri

TURIN -- Fiat will build Maserati's new Levante SUV at its flagship Mirafiori plant in Turin, union sources told Automotive News Europe. The automaker may also build an SUV for Alfa Romeo in the same factory, the sources said.

Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne said on Sunday that Fiat will build Maserati and Alfa Romeo models at Mirafiori, safeguarding the underutilized factory's future, but he did not say which vehicles would be built there.

Fiat is expected to make a public announcement on what it will build at Mirafiori by this summer, ANE sources said.

The Levante is set to debut in 2014 as Maserati's first SUV. The Porsche Cayenne rival will share underpinnings with the Jeep Grand Cherokee.

Alfa's first SUV is slated to hit showrooms in 2015. Its launch is part of Marchionne's latest effort to transform Alfa into a global luxury brand to challenge Audi.

Fiat plans to use its idled Italian factories to produce Jeeps, Maseratis and Alfa Romeos for export, as it relies increasingly on overseas sales to offset flagging demand in recession-hit Italy.

Full article at link.

[Bravada]

Excuse me while I puke.

[JimmyDiablo]

If it has a HEMI in it, I'm gonna start throwing bricks through windshields......that's all I have to say about that....

[donmateo]

Stole a page outta Nissan's design book, eh?

[69gtsdart]

If it has a HEMI in it, I'm gonna start throwing bricks through windshields......that's all I have to say about that....

3.8l 530hp TTV8 built by Ferrari and a 3.2L 410 hp TTV6 based on the Pentastar V6, Dont look for a HEMI in a Italian car.

We all know the Levante is GC based by no one knows what the Alfa is to be based on. who knows might be a X6 competitor based on the new Cherokee

[cad1cts]

And all this time I thought the scuttlebutt was that the Levante was going to be built in Michigan. It's quite literally a whole new game with this guy every other week. Soap opera melodrama??? O.o Almost looks like it to me....Just sayin! -_-

[germeezy1]

I certainly would believe that many of you are not quite sick of stomach at the thought of the GL63 which SHARES a platform with the Grand Cherokee, and is priced far above it.

[69gtsdart]

I certainly would believe that many of you are not quite sick of stomach at the thought of the GL63 which SHARES a platform with the Grand Cherokee, and is priced far above it.

No to mention the ML. the HVAC Vents are just about in the same location as the Grand Cherokees. Sadly, the thing cost more than a SRT Grand Cherokee without it being a AMG model.

[Amphibian]

While I am so turned off by the idea, I have to be cliche and remind myself of the Cayenne.

[Butz]

Excuse me while I puke.

Are you opposed to the idea of Fiat and Maserati having an SUV or are you opposed to sharing underpinnings with the Grand Cherokee?

Porsche done it, Bentley is doing it, Lamborghini done it and are doing it again. The Grand Cherokee was designed in tandem with the Mercedes M, R and GL.

[Bravada]

I still find the idea of applying random luxury brand styling cues to a bulky SUV repulsive, most of them simply don't work. I still believe the Porsche Cayenne looks like a pregnant alien insect. We've grown accustomed to it, but it doesn't make it look any better. The Bentley whatever is horrible, and if the Lamborghini will look like I think it will, it's also a failed attempt at Transformers.

I've seen the Maserati concepts, and they'd make good props for a remake of Dune. Alfas already look like Pokemons after decades of sexiest styling available, I can't imagine an Alfa Romeo SUV or CUV looking good. I could imagine brilliant Lancia CUVs, but certainly not Alfa Romeo.

Mercedes's styling lends itself moderately well to SUVs, because they are rather bulky, have always had tall, large grilles and returned to being angular - even if currently their SUVs might be quite better looking than their cars. BMW changed their styling to fit SUVs better and now many of their cars look rather disgusting (see: new BMW 1).

Fiat is OK with SUVs obviously, although I really don't think the 500X is actually a good idea. Will they put the 500 nose on the Ducato and call it FRATcato (for FIAT and RAM) 500 XXL?

[Butz]

Cadillac got the SUVs right despite nearly a century of having no SUVs. It cone be done. So did BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti.

[Bravada]

The Escalade is a special case. Cadillac and Lincoln had very little if nothing to lose here, but the Navigator (which was the first) is about as tasteful as Lee Iacocca's dream of "a Rolls-Royce grille on a Ford Thunderbird" (which is how he professes the Continental Mark V was born). Those brands have a tradition of building pimpmobiles.

Audi has a tradition of building ungainly, weird-looking cars. So the ungainly, weird-looking Audi SUVs do not look totally out of place, even when their sedans started looking rather sexy. But they certainly look rather ugly.

The Lexus RX started as ugly and evolved into disgusting. The other two Lexus SUVs are simply LandCruisers with an L instead of a T.

Infiniti didn't have much heritage to build upon, so they could claim they descend from forest insects (which is what the infamous ad campaign was REALLY about), perhaps because they heard that people found the Beetle cute.

[germeezy1]

Cadillac got the SUVs right despite nearly a century of having no SUVs. It cone be done. So did BMW, Audi, Lexus and Infiniti.

Of course depending on which SUV's you are in fact speaking of. The JX, LX, 5 series Gran Turismo, and Q3 are all debatable as far as " getting them right ".

I still find the idea of applying random luxury brand styling cues to a bulky SUV repulsive, most of them simply don't work. I still believe the Porsche Cayenne looks like a pregnant alien insect. We've grown accustomed to it, but it doesn't make it look any better. The Bentley whatever is horrible, and if the Lamborghini will look like I think it will, it's also a failed attempt at Transformers.

I've seen the Maserati concepts, and they'd make good props for a remake of Dune. Alfas already look like Pokemons after decades of sexiest styling available, I can't imagine an Alfa Romeo SUV or CUV looking good. I could imagine brilliant Lancia CUVs, but certainly not Alfa Romeo.

Mercedes's styling lends itself moderately well to SUVs, because they are rather bulky, have always had tall, large grilles and returned to being angular - even if currently their SUVs might be quite better looking than their cars. BMW changed their styling to fit SUVs better and now many of their cars look rather disgusting (see: new BMW 1).

Fiat is OK with SUVs obviously, although I really don't think the 500X is actually a good idea. Will they put the 500 nose on the Ducato and call it FRATcato (for FIAT and RAM) 500 XXL?

The Bentely EXP-9 concept has been binned, and Bentley under the tutelage of one of the worlds great designer directors ( A certain Mr. Luc Donkerwolke ) apparently will start back again at square 1.

Personally I find the Maserati Kubang concept, and Alfa Romeo Kamal concept to be quite appealing aesthetically.

[PHAT-JAY]

more Sergio crap...I really hate this guy, I wish they just let Chrysler, and Dodge go!