Maserati to launch its first SUV

Maserati to launch its first SUV

We say Italian-shaped, because it's actually American-boned. Underneath, it's based on the brand-new Grand Cherokee. But we had a quiet word with one of the designers, who swears you wouldn't be able to tell. The trademark Maserati patrician nose flows back into a wavy waistline, all chromed-up with somewhere muddy to go.But only slightly muddy. Because indoors, you'll find a plush-upholstered three-piece suite in finest Italian leather, with wood strips all over the place.

As for engines, the Chrysler Hemi V8 will be the one if you need bragging rights against your mates who strap themselves into V8 Cayennes. Thank you, that'll be 6.4 litres and 465bhp. Why the Hemi and not the Ferrari-made V8 of other Maseratis? The PR spin will be that the Hemi has more torque, making it better for an SUV. The reality is it already fits the platform, and also Ferrari doesn't sell engines cheaply. Oh no.

If you're going to let sanity have any say, though, the rather good new Fiat V6 diesel will do just fine. It's also out of the Grand Cherokee.This isn't an off-road crawler like the Grand Cherokees we've seen so far, but a speed merchant. So forget the air springs and extra low-ratio set of the normal Grand Cherokee.

The chassis is proper sophisticated independent, with adaptive damping front and rear. Electronically controlled diffs, in the rear and centre, keep the power going where it's useful.The moment we post this story, we're expecting the comments section to light up. Maserati shouldn't make an SUV, some will howl. Maserati shouldn't make a Chrysler-based car, others will yelp.

We've every sympathy with those views. But maybe a couple of little reality-check points first. One, Maserati needs to get its business up a notch. This is one way to do it.Two, the Grand Cherokee is itself a derivation and improvement of Mercedes parts. (Just one of the many reasons why Fiat Group got itself a bargain when it picked up the Chrysler Group out of bankruptcy last year.)

2013 Jaguar XE

2013 Jaguar XE

2013 Jaguar XE

2013 Jaguar XE

Leftlane reported in late 2009 that Ratan Tata, head of Jaguar parent company Tata Motors, had confirmed Jaguar was readying an all-new roadster – believed to be called the XE – later confirming that this model is in fact coming in 2012.

The all-new XE model will likely come in both Roadster and Coupe form, and was confirmed to by CEO Carl-Peter Forster to be set to arrive in 2012. Forster has not commented about body styles, but Leftlane’s previous reports confirmed a roadster model, with a two-door coupe being a strong possibility in order to better compete with segment rivals from Porsche and Lotus, such as the Boxster, Caymen and Evora models.

The XE will feature an all-new aluminum platform, which will eventually underpin the XK, XF and XJ – as opposed to their current steel platforms. Although a mid-engine setup had been rumored, the XE will use a more conventional front-engine, rear-drive configuration.

Power for the base model XE is expected to come from a supercharged V6, which could produce up to 350 horsepower – but given Tata’s use of Ford-sourced motors, we wouldn’t rule out the possibility of an EcoBoosted 3.5-liter V6 with power in the same realm.

A mid-level model will check in with at least a 385 horsepower version of Jaguar’s 5.0-liter V8, while a 510 horsepower supercharged V8 will be reserved for the range’s top billing. A hybrid model is also rumored to be in the works.

Previous reports suggested the XE could be in Jaguar showrooms as early as 2011, but it looks like the XE won’t hit the market until 2012 as a 2013 model year. Expect the Jaguar XE to make its world debut at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show, which coincidentally marks the 50th anniversary of the E-Type’s introduction.