The Next Maserati Models Are Americanized

For anyone familiar with the brand, it might sound like a stupid question. There are two Maserati models in production, which have always been Italian, and no one expected that to change until quite recently. Maserati has its niche, and it pursues its niche quite well. That said, it’s an age of consolidation in the car industry world. Companies that for decades existed independently are now grouped into large conglomerations, which is the only way most of them can survive. So Maserati—or, rather, its parent company Fiat—plans to do something similar by fully merging with Chrysler. Their first joint action: the development and production of a luxury Maserati SUV in Detroit.

Maserati models are Italian: they’re designed, assembled, and sold in Italy, which has always been an allure of the luxury brand. America has produced some fine vehicles itself, but just the word “Italian” evokes much more elegance and sophistication than, say “Jeep.” News, then, of Maserati’s intention to design and build a new vehicle in America came as a bit of a shock. It came as more of a shock, though, when Fiat announced the new luxury SUV would be built on the underpinnings of a Jeep Grand Cherokee. If the SUV will cost anything like other Maserati models, buyers can expect to pay well over $100 thousand. Considering the Grand Cherokee is sold for $30 thousand, this cheaper structure seems incompatible with the Maserati brand.

The CEO of Fiat and Chrysler presented a fairly convincing argument: he drove a Jeep across America, loved it, and just wanted the same experience in luxury. It’s not uncommon, actually, for pricier vehicles to use the same underpinnings of mass market models, and Fiat promises all other materials will come from traditional Maserati sources. The news is certainly unexpected for a brand that for years has specialized in two models, but a Maserati SUV might be just what’s needed to keep the company strong and popular.