It’s that time of year that the Fiat Group reveals its plans for the near future and on Thursday, the Italian automaker announced that Maserati will expand its product offering and significantly increase volumes over the next two years with the presentation of three new models in three different market segments.
The Italian company did not provide additional information, but we already know that the three new Maserati models planned for production are the Kubang luxury SUV that was previewed in showcar trim at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, a mid-size sports sedan to compete with the BMW 6-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLS, and the next generation of the large Quattroporte sedan.
Maserati said that the new generation of products target volume market segments and as a result, it plans a significant increase in production, reaching up to 50,000 vehicles a year by 2015.
Given that the company’s Modena plant cannot be expanded due to its location inside the city limits, Maserati said it will make use of the ex Bertone plant acquired by Fiat two years ago, investing a total of €500 million to upgrade the facility.
In the same announcement, Maserati said it will produce a new Alfa Romeo model at its Modena plant from May 2013, with an estimated annual production of up to 2,500 units.
While Maserati did not name the Alfa Romeo model in its press statement, a company source told Autonews Europe that it will be the 4C, which has been previewed as a concept at last year’s Geneva Salon.
The 4C is a lightweight, two-seater sports coupe powered by a mid-mounted 1.75-liter turbocharged engine driving the rear wheels, and is believed to be the first Alfa Romeo model to arrive in the United States.
Company sources said that the 4C will be priced at around €50,000 (US$65,800) in Europe, but we still don’t know how much it will cost in the U.S. and other markets around the world.
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