2011 Maserati Quattroporte S Nero Pearl Beige 1-owner 13.8k Fact.warranty 09/15 on 2040-cars

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Fiat Chrysler's profit boosted by Ram and Jeep in North America

MILAN/DETROIT — Fiat Chrysler took the market by surprise by sticking to its full-year profit guidance on Wednesday after a strong performance from its Ram pickup truck in North America helped it defy an industry slowdown. Chief Executive Mike Manley, in FCA's first earnings release since a failed attempt to merge with France's Renault, also left the door open to that or other deals. "We are open to opportunity," Manley said on a call with analysts. "I have no doubt why there still would be interest in it," he added, when pressed on what it would take to revive talks with Renault. Manley declined to comment further. FCA last month abandoned its $35 billion merger offer for Renault, blaming French politics for scuttling what would have been a landmark deal to create the world's third-biggest automaker. Manley said a merger was not a must-have and Fiat Chrysler's business plan was strong. The company said it remained confident its adjusted earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) would top last year's 6.7 billion euros ($7.5 billion). Given disappointing forecasts from other automakers this earnings season, FCA's confirmation of the outlook sent Milan-listed shares in the Italian-American automaker, whose other brands include Jeep, up over 4%. A broad-based auto sales downturn has rattled the sector, forcing FCA's competitors — including Renault, Daimler and Aston Martin — to cut their sales forecasts after second-quarter results, while U.S. carmaker Ford gave a weaker-than-expected 2019 profit outlook. Japan's Nissan, a long-term partner of Renault, said it would cut 12,500 jobs by 2023 after its earnings collapsed. In the second quarter FCA's adjusted EBIT totaled 1.52 billion euros, versus analysts' expectations of 1.43 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. FCA's U.S. shipments were down 12% in the second quarter but the group said that the successful performance of its Ram brand resulted in an enhanced share of the large pickup truck market of 27.9%, up 7 percentage points from last year. Adjusted EBIT margin in North America rose to 8.9% from 6.5% in the first quarter, thanks to strong demand for the heavy-duty Ram and the new Jeep Gladiator pickup. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer also said FCA expected to report up to 10% margins in the region in both the third and fourth quarters.

Maserati confirms next Quattroporte, Levante will be EV-only

Maserati's lineup will look a lot different in the second half of the 2020s than it does in 2022. The company confirmed that the Levante and the Quattroporte will be replaced by electric models, and it announced that the Ghibli, its entry-level car, will retire without a successor. "What we see in the market is that there is a transition from sedans to SUVs. There is still a very clear demand for sport sedans, but we believe that we can serve customers even better by substituting the Ghibli and the Quattroporte with just one new sport sedan," explained Francesco Tonon, the Italian company's head of product planning, during a press conference. We don't know when the Ghibli will retire yet. Executives aren't worried about losing sales by axing the Ghibli. The long-awaited Grecale crossover scheduled to make its debut online on March 22 will likely become the best-selling Maserati model with relative ease due to its positioning, and it will neatly fill the void left by the sedan at the bottom of the company's range. And, the next generation of the Quattroporte will carry the sedan torch into the 2020s. "We strongly believe that there is a future for the sedan, but probably not for two sedans. One will be enough to meet demand," Tonon noted. It's too early to provide concrete details about the next-generation Levante and Quattroporte. Both are due out in 2025 at the earliest. However, what's already set in stone is that neither car will be available with a gasoline-burning engine. Both will be all electric, all the time. "We are focused on delivering the best EV and the best electric large SUV. There will be no ICE and no PHEVs; just electric," Tonon said.

2021 and 2022 Maserati models recalled over fuel leak risk

Maserati is recalling a handful of 2021 and 2022 models to fix a problem that can cause a fuel leak. While the number of cars included in the campaign is relatively small, it covers every member of the company's lineup ranging from the entry-level Ghibli to the MC20 supercar. Documents published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) explain that about 409 cars sold in the United States are fitted with a fuel line sensor housing that can crack and leak. It adds that this problem can reduce the engine's performance by not delivering enough fuel to the cylinders; alternatively, the leak can cause a fire, though the notice says that's only in "rare circumstances." There are 274 units of the 2021 and 2022 Levante, 88 examples of the 2021 Ghibli, 43 2021 Quattroporte sedans, and four 2022 MC20s affected. Maserati estimates that the Levante models included in the campaign were built between September 18, 2020, and October 4, 2021. For the Ghibli, the date range provided by the Italian firm is November 3, 2020, to June 7, 2021. Quattroporte models were built from October 28, 2020, to June 7, 2021, while the four MC20s were manufactured between July 12 and September 29, 2021. Maserati notes that it acted quickly: it found out about the problem on October 8, it opened an internal investigation into the part's supplier the following day, and it issued the voluntary recall on November 4, 2021. As of writing, there have been no accidents, injuries, or fatalities linked to the problem.  Maserati will replace the fuel line sensor housing in all affected cars free of charge. It will begin notifying owners on December 27, 2021. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Featured Gallery Maserati Ghibli & Levante F Tributo View 14 Photos Recalls Maserati