Haute Auto: Maserati Kubang SUV Due in 2013

Maserati has unveiled its new luxurious sport-utility vehicle – the Kubang – due on the market in 2013.

The Kubang was displayed at the Frankfurt Moto Show and will be built in Detroit at Chrysler’s previously forlorn Jefferson North plant. The Kubang shares its name with a crossover wagon Maserati showed in Detroit in 2003 but uses underpinnings from Chrysler’s Jeep brand.

The luxury SUV is expected to sell for around $100,000 and with the coming of this model, Maserati hopes to compete with other luxury utility makers like Porsche, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Maserati’s are typically powered by Ferrari-built engines, and the Kubang will continue that tradition, using a 4.7-liter V8.

For years Maserati has been a close sister company to exotic sports-car maker Ferrari and it still represents a niche market. Maserati’s two models, the Granturismo two-door sports car and Quattroporte sedan have six-figure sticker prices.

Source: Wall Street Journal