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Maserati Levante SUV may be built in Italy after all

In July Fiat halted its investments in Italy, putting on hold plans for the Maserati Levante SUV to be built at the automaker's flagship factory in Turin. But Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, whose company owns Maserati, met with unions on Wednesday, and he may announce plans to move forward with production of the SUV at the Mirafiori factory if the CEO and the unions reach an agreement, Bloomberg reports.
Marchionne is reportedly about ready to build new cars at Fiat's largest and oldest factory, on the grounds that 5,300 workers accept extended temporary layoffs through most of next year in a slowing European auto market. If unions don't accept the deal, it's not clear whether Fiat would still consider building the Levante at Mirafiori or not.
The Levante, Maserati's first SUV, is based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform, and we reported two years ago that it would be built in Detroit next to its Jeep cousin. Obviously those plans have been altered considerably in the intervening period of time.

Maserati rules out smaller Macan rival

These days every luxury automaker is going after the Porsche Cayenne with a crossover of its own. Among those coming up is the Maserati Levante, which will mark the Trident marque's first foray into high-riding territory. But don't expect it to follow up with a Macan rival as well. Speaking with Autocar, Maserati chief Harald Wester ruled out the possibility of a smaller crossover to join the Levante in the Modenese automaker's lineup, ostensibly because doing so would step on the toes of other brands under the Fiat Chrysler umbrella – particularly with Alfa Romeo set to launch a crossover of its own. "We are an extremely complex multi-brand group and to have every doing a little bit of everything is not the right way," Wester told the British magazine. "In this business, you should never say 'no' in a dogmatic way, but my personal opinion is that Maserati wouldn't want to go below the Levante in size." And Wester's opinion goes a long way in the halls in Turin and Auburn Hills: he's head of both the Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands, and is also the group's Chief Technology Officer. That's something that has never seemed to deter the Volkswagen Group, though, where Bentley is gearing up to take on its sister company's Cayenne with the upcoming Bentayga and is also said to be considering a Macan rival. And that's to say nothing of other SUVs occupying similar size and price positions from Volkswagen, Audi and potentially Lamborghini. Which only serves to underline the different approaches taken by Europe's two largest automakers. Look for the Levante to debut at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show.

Maserati Levante Trofeo gets a twin-turbo V8 transplant from Ferrari

With 590 horsepower and 538 pound-feet of torque, the 3.8-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine powering the all-wheel-drive Levante Trofeo boasts more power-per-liter than any engine previously installed in a Maserati. Not surprisingly, the engine and its 156-hp-per-liter output are the product of the men from Maranello. The Ferrari-built V8 pushes the Levante Trofeo to 60 miles per hour in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 187 mph. Big power isn't all that makes the Trofeo special. Maserati says its top-shelf Levante boasts a 50:50 weight distribution and a Corsa (race) mode, which means this 'ute ought to be a mighty fine steer. Launch control makes the ludicrous acceleration a repeatable affair, should drivers so desire to rearrange the faces of their passengers at every green light. Maserati Integrated Vehicle Control is supposed to seamlessly prevent driver mistakes instead of correcting them after the fact, as a traditional stability control system would do. In what we assume must be a joke, there's also an Off-Road mode. The interior of the Levante Trefeo is swathed in what Maserati calls "Pieno Fiore" natural leather that is supposed to wear uniquely with age. It's offered in black, red, and tan, all with contrast stitching. The limited launch edition you see here has massive 22-inch matte-finish wheels, matte black paint, glossy carbon fiber exterior bits and matte carbon interior trim. It'll come with a plaque featuring the owner's name and a serial number, but Maserati is only saying a "small number" will be built without giving an exact figure. We'll have to wait for official pricing information and availability, but we're sure it won't come cheap. Related Video: