2005 Maserati Gransport Coupe 2-door 4.2l on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo will gain a Jeep Compass-based SUV

It was reported earlier this week that FCA would invest into its Italian factories to ramp up production at currently underutilized locations. Those plans have now been clarified with official information from FCA, as reported by Automotive News. The entire investment is worth $5.7 billion. First of all, Alfa Romeo will gain a new compact SUV based on the Jeep Compass architecture. The still-unnamed model will be available as a plug-in hybrid, and it will be built in Pomigliano, Italy. No U.S. availability has yet been announced, but it would not be odd to see the Compass-based model sold below the Stelvio in the States. The last time Alfa Romeo had anything similar in its model portfolio was when it offered Crosswagon-badged four-wheel-drive versions of the 156 and 159 wagons. As for the Jeep Compass itself, it will begin to be built at the Melfi plant in Italy. The rumored small "baby" Jeep slotting under the Renegade has not yet been officially mentioned. Fiat will introduce a battery electric 500, built in Turin, and the Pomigliano plant that will make the compact Alfa Romeo SUV will also be used to build a mild hybrid version of the Panda city car. The 500X will gain a PHEV variant. The Stelvio platform will also spawn a corresponding SUV for Maserati, and FCA also mentioned Maserati will introduce a new, unnamed model it will make in Modena. Automotive News quotes Italian press as saying this will be the Alfieri coupe and convertible, also offered as battery electric versions. Related Video:

Maserati planning second smaller SUV?

Maserati's product plans have taken a few wild turns, but as we get closer to production dates for the long-awaited offerings things are getting a wee bit clearer. The the sixth-generation Maserati Quattroporte is here, and a quick recap according to a report in Car and Driver has the smaller Ghibli sedan on Chrysler's LX/LY platform next, then the next-generation GranTurismo coupe and cabrio on a Maserati platform, then the Kubang SUV concept (pictured) that, for production, will become the larger Jeep-Cherokee-based Levante SUV.
All of which gets us to 2015. That same year, according to the report, the Levante will get a brother: a smaller SUV or crossover, perhaps sized like the Kubang concept, to challenge the Audi Q5 and the Porsche Macan. It is predicted to use the Compact US Wide platform, built for front-wheel and all-wheel-drive vehicles, that supports the Dodge Dart and 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulia. In addition to giving the premium brand a competitor in what is a very popular segment, a Maserati move slightly downmarket can help fill a gap while Fiat brass figures out what to do with Lancia.

Maserati to show GranCabrio MC in Paris

Maserati sure seems to be milking the GranTurismo franchise for all its worth these days. In addition to plenty of limited editions and sport models for both the coupe and convertible, Maserati recently launched the MC version of the hardtop. Now, ahead of its debut at the Paris Motor Show, the Modenese automaker has dropped details on its latest iteration of the GT platform, the GranCabrio MC.
Visually, the droptop's most noticeable change is its new face, which has been lifted directly off the MC Stradale coupe. This means the car is a full 48 millimeters longer than the standard and Sport versions of the GranCabrio, but we like the decidedly more aggressive look to that big ol' schnoz. The large rear spoiler has also been reworked for the MC, providing even more downforce to keep that large body firmly glued to the road.
Maserati has not released powertrain details, but we assume that the GranCabrio MC uses the same 4.7-liter Ferrari-sourced V8 as the MC coupe, good for 444 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.