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Maserati recalls 135 GranTurismos over door latches

Maserati issued a recall for faulty door latches on the GranTurismo. Only 135 examples are affected, though the GranTurismo is a low-volume product. The problem with the door latches is that they may not have been properly heat-treated, which means that in the event of a crash, the door could swing open. All of the affected GranTurismos (both coupes and convertibles) are from the 2016 model year and were produced between June 24, 2015, and September 2, 2015. While Maserati's sales figures (thanks largely to the introduction of newer models) continue to climb, the GranTurismo accounts for only a small portion of the company's overall production. Last year the company sold an all-time high of 36,500 units around the world, of which only 3,500 (or less than one tenth) were from the GranTurismo line - which remains the oldest in the Maserati lineup. Since introducing the GranTurismo in 2007, the Modenese automaker has rolled out the Ghibli, replaced the Quattroporte, and is preparing to delve into the SUV market with the forthcoming Levante. A new two-door model is expected to arrive in the form of the Alfieri, which won't replace the GranTurismo, per se, but we wouldn't expect the GranTurismo to stick around for long after the Alfieri comes along. RECALL Subject : Passenger Side Door Latch Not Heat Treated Report Receipt Date: NOV 10, 2015 NHTSA Campaign Number: 15V744000 Component(s): LATCHES/LOCKS/LINKAGES Potential Number of Units Affected: 135 Manufacturer: Maserati North America, Inc. SUMMARY: Maserati North America, Inc. (Maserati) is recalling certain model year 2016 GranTurismo and GranTurismo Convertibles manufactured June 24, 2015, to September 2, 2015. The affected vehicles were built with passenger side door latch components that were not heat treated. CONSEQUENCE: If the door latch was not heat treated, in the event of a crash, the door latch may fail allowing the door to open, increasing the risk of injury. REMEDY: Maserati will notify owners, and dealers will replace the passenger side door latch assembly, free of charge. The recall is expected to begin in November 2015. Owners may contact Maserati customer service at 1-201-816-2600. Maserati's number for this recall is 292. NOTES: Owners may also contact the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236 (TTY 1-800-424-9153), or go to www.safercar.gov. Related Video:

Fiat set to invest $12B on new models, stop Euro losses in 3 years

Naturally, you'd expect a massive automaker like Fiat to have an in-depth plan to exit the current European-market doldrums, and you'd expect that plan to include plenty of new vehicles to attract those precious buyers that still remain despite the financial downturn. And you'd be right, though Fiat does seem to have a few unexpected twists up its corporate sleeve.
Perhaps the biggest shocker is a report that Fiat will completely drop the Punto, a car with mass-market appeal aimed at small-car buyers cross-shopping the popular Volkswagen Polo. Its replacement will be a five-door Fiat 500 aimed at upmarket buyers (sounds awfully similar to the 500L) that will be built in Poland. Lower-end customers will reportedly be served by variants of the Fiat Panda.
Borrowing a page from the BMW, Daimler and Volkswagen playbook, reports Automotive News, Fiat is said to have plans to reignite production at its Italian factories by retooling them to build high-end vehicles from Maserati and Alfa Romeo. These will be marketed as premium products, built by skilled Italian workers (who are paid wages that are 75-percent higher than those building Fiats in Poland), and will be sold around the world.

Maserati's next sports car shown in heavy camo

Maserati has started the process of re-tooling its historic Modena, Italy, factory to build a new sports car scheduled to come out in 2020. Full details about the model remain under wraps — even its name is a mystery — but the very first batch of images provided by Maserati and brought to you exclusively by Autoblog reveal several key points about it, including a few that we didn't see coming. The photos douse cold water on the rumors claiming Maserati's next sports car would be essentially a toned-down version of the Alfieri concept introduced in 2014. The test mule depicted in the images is heavily camouflaged, but its proportions, the size of its cabin, and the huge vents behind the doors suggest it's a mid-engined two-seater, not a front-engined model with a 2+2 interior layout. Autoblog learned the test mule is powered by a completely new drivetrain, but your guess is as good as ours when it comes to what it's made up of. Regardless, it was designed and built entirely in-house, and it will spawn a family of drivetrains that will exclusively power the company's vehicles. Starting from scratch is a huge undertaking. Engineers will closely analyze the data gathered during the testing phase, and use it to fine-tune the drivetrain on its research and development department's simulators. The improved components will in turn be road-tested. Maserati's new approach to vehicle design relies heavily on simulators, but head of product Joe Grace told us real-world testing remains hugely important. The company puts about 3 million miles annually on its prototypes. While the photos beg more questions than they answer, they confirm Maserati's renaissance is around the corner. The company will introduce its next new model during the Geneva Motor Show in March 2020, so we expect to learn much more about it in the coming months. It will be followed by the next-generation GranTurismo and GranCabrio, which will be available with the company's first electric powertrain, and by a new SUV positioned below the Levante. Featured Gallery 2020 Maserati sports car test mule spy shots Auto News Spy Photos Geneva Motor Show Maserati Coupe