Our friends over at Carscoop managed to get hold of Fiat Group internal documentation that appears to show the product plan for Maserati products. Rumours have been flying around recently regarding a potential 911 rival for the Italian brand. The rumours suggest that this could be based on the Alfa Romeo 4C platform with power provided by a Ferrari engine of some description.
Unfortunately, the documentation the Carscoop posted makes no mention of a 911 rival. The first car to break cover will be the entry level sedan, the Ghibli, due early next year. After this, we could potentially see another Maserati release with the Levante UV towards the end of the year.
Next up is the GranTurismo replacement, due in 2014 followed by the GranCabrio and the sportier version, the GranSport. Of course, the 911 rival isn’t the only product missing, the rumoured smaller SUV isn’t there.
The images reveal a few details about Maserati’s target markets. They reveal that the US market remains Maserati’s number one market and that the Asian market is growing. The pictures also reveal that Maserati will be targeting a production level of 50,000 cars by 2015. Between 2012 and 2014, Maserati will be investing €1 billion.
Ghibli
Many are speculating that the Ghibli will measure almost five meters exactly. That’s 9.7cm shorter than the outgoing Quattroporte and just over 10cm longer than the current BMW 5-Series. Speculation suggests that it will ride on the platform that underpins the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger whist power might come via a turbocharged V6 unit that develops approximately 400hp.
The Ghibli will almost certainly be built at the former Carrozzeria Bertone plant that Fiat acquired three years ago.
Levante
The Maserati Levante should be based on the Jeep Grand Cheroke platform. It will likely feature a 4.7-liter Ferrari V8 and a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox. The engine will be created by Paolo Martinelli, developed by Maserati, and made by Ferrari. The name Levante means ‘East’ in Italian, of course, China and Asia generally is Maserati’s market.
Of course, Maserati may also choose to use a VM 3-liter V6 diesel pushing out 300hp. This power plant would also make its way into the Ghibli. While the Maserati and Jeep SRT8 and Levante have been testing side by side, they are both expected to be very different cars with different engines, suspension components and wheels.
