2019 Maserati Ghibli Gransport 4dr Sedan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Maserati Levante shows Kubang inspiration in leaked images

One of the most anticipated debuts at next month's Geneva Motor Show comes from Maserati, which is set to show its first crossover. A major part of the brand's revival, the new Levante will be challenged to strike the right chord in an increasingly competitive segment. That's not the new Levante at the top of the page. It's the Kubang Concept on which it's based. The leaked shots come from the Dutch Auto Week – like our Autoweek, but taller – and include six shots that we're betting were in a tin labeled "Do not open until March 1." They provide a great look at the new crossover from a range of angles, and include a shot of a very, very red cabin. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We see a great deal of Kubang concept around the headlights, although it's clear Maser's designers evolved the Levante's grille to better match the Ghibli sedan. It's more chiseled and strong, part of which can be blamed on the chrome slats – the Kubang's grille slats were just black. The rear fender and shoulder lines look like they've almost been lifted straight from the Ghibli, while the roofline and rear window give the impression that Maserati is favoring sporty looks over any real utility. We're unable to post the leaked Levante images here, but we'd strongly suggest you give them a look over at Auto Week. And stay tuned for the official info on the Levante, when it gets its grand debut early next month. Related Video:

Ferrari to stop supplying Maserati with its engines

The Ferrari Q1 earnings call was full of information, and perhaps the biggest revelation was that Ferrari is going to stop supplying engines to Maserati. CEO Louis Camilleri broke the news, and The Motley Fool posted a transcript of the whole call online. "Eventually, we will no longer supply engines to Maserati, which actually from our perspective is actually a good thing, both from a margin perspective, but also the fact that we can transfer a lot of the labor that's been focused on the engines to the car side of the business," Camilleri says. Maserati has used Ferrari engines (arguably, one of the most compelling reasons to buy a Maserati) in its vehicles since 2002, a little while after Fiat passed Maserati off to the prancing horse. The partnership continued as both Ferrari and Maserati were under the same house at FCA. Then when Ferrari was spun off from FCA in 2015, they kept the supply steady to Maserati. Those engines include a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8, 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 and a 4.7-liter naturally aspirated V8. Camilleri said Ferrari will officially stop in 2021 or 2022, with no intention of supplying anybody with engines beyond that. Of course, this leaves Maserati high and dry with no engines for its growing lineup. Maserati will have to reach into the FCA parts bin, find a new outside supplier or develop its own engines. Battery electric sounds out of the question. As of now, there doesn't appear to be a clear plan going forward. We've reached out to Maserati to see if they have any comment on the situation as it stands.

Stellantis expects to hit emissions target without Tesla's help

Franco-Italian carmaker Stellantis expects to achieve its European carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions targets this year without environmental credits bought from Tesla, its CEO said in an interview published on Tuesday. Stellantis was formed through the merger of France's PSA and Italy's FCA, which spent about 2 billion euros ($2.40 billion) to buy European and U.S. CO2 credits from electric vehicle maker Tesla over the 2019-2021 period. "With the electrical technology that PSA brought to Stellantis, we will autonomously meet carbon dioxide emission regulations as early as this year," Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares said in the interview with French weekly Le Point. "Thus, we will not need to call on European CO2 credits and FCA will no longer have to pool with Tesla or anyone." California-based Tesla earns credits for exceeding emissions and fuel economy standards and sells them to other automakers that fall short. European regulations require all car manufacturers to reduce CO2 emissions for private vehicles to an average of 95 grams per kilometer this year. A Stellantis spokesman said the company is in discussions with Tesla about the financial implications of the decision to stop the pooling agreement. "As a result of the combination of Groupe PSA and FCA, Stellantis will be in a position to achieve CO2 targets in Europe for 2021 without open passenger car pooling arrangements with other automakers," he added. Tesla's sales of environmental credits to rival automakers helped it to announce slightly better than expected first-quarter revenue this week. The next tightening of European regulations will soon be the subject of proposals from the European Commission. The 2030 target could be lowered to less than 43 grams/km. Related Video: Government/Legal Green Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep Maserati RAM Tesla Citroen Peugeot Emissions Stellantis