Fiat-Chrysler launches new models for Maserati brand
Sergio Marchionne, the head honcho for Fiat SpA and Chrysler Group LLC has very big dreams for the Maserati model. In a press release, Marchionne expressed his plans to boost the sales for the brand from last year’s 5,675 units to 50,000 units towards the end of the decade.
Now, here’s the plan. An SUV version for the Maserati will be introduced during the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show this year. This will take on the platform of the Jeep Grand Cherokee and will get the heart of a Chrysler Pentastar, a V6 engine, as one of the options for the engines.
There’s more in store because according to recent reports, two new sedan models will be introduced to replace the Quattroporte sedan, which has been criticized to be neither a chauffeur’s or a driver’ car. The two new sedans for the Maserati brand will be built using the components and systems from the Dodge Avenger and the Chrysler 300.
The new sedan will have the traditional layout of the Maserati brand with the rear-wheel-drive platform and the longitudinal front engine. The sedan will make its first appearance with a 3.0-liter engine with a MultiAir variable valve timing from Fiat, direct injection feature and dual turbochargers. This new engine packs 400horsepower. Initial tag price is estimated at $79,000.
In 2013, the Maserati will introduce a larger version of the baby Quattroporte which will be 2.5 inches longer than the existing model. This one will get a 4.7-liter V8 engine with its 475 horsepower attached to a ZF 8-speed gearbox.


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