Grand Cherokee-Based SUV Coming to Maserati

[OmarKareem]

Things are going pretty well for Chrysler-Fiat, with losses seemingly disappearing in the rear view mirror and (finally) a focus on new products

Since taking over after the Chrysler bankruptcy, Fiat has accelerated mid-cycle refreshes like the 200 and 300 models, along with other all-new products like the 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Magnum

The Grand Cherokee has been an impressive vehicle for Jeep. The venerable SUV has been widely lauded for retaining its impressive off-road characteristics while moving to a refined unibody platform shared with Mercedes-Benz. Synergies between Chrysler and Fiat are just now being explored, and the platform is slated to be used in a surprising place – Maserati

There are two pretty significant developments in this news – first, a Maserati sport utility vehicle is coming and secondly, it is based on a Jeep. Welcome to the brave new world. Riding on the same platform as the Mercedes-Benz ML, the 2011 Grand Cherokee is a far cry from Jeeps of old however. With some Maserati-specific performance engineering, there is no doubt the platform can serve duty underpinning a capable performance crossover

Maserati didn’t succumb to the SUV craze under Ferrari’s ownership, but with Fiat at the helm it looks like it will take on a new direction

Recent Maserati news has focused on a smaller four-door sedan to slot in below the Quattroporte, competing with performance iterations of mid-size luxury sedans like the BMW M5. Especially with Ferrari opting out of producing SUVs or four-doors at any level, Fiat intends Maserati to compete in those niches

Chief Executive Officer Sergio Marchionn alluded to the upcoming Maserati when speaking to The Wall Street Journal. The paper says the vehicle will likely be produced at the same assembly plant as the Jeep Grand Cherokee and Dodge Durango. A Maserati SUV based on a Jeep, built in Detroit? We can already tell this one is going to be a big hit with Maserati purists