Maserati Confirms SUV For 2012; Ferrari To Supply Engine

Maserati unveiled the Kubang back in 2003 with the hopes of introducing the world to their version of what an SUV should be. Those plans didn’t exactly pan out and it wasn’t until 2008 that rumors started circulating about Maserati working up an SUV; this time, alongside Audi. This SUV was also dropped and Maserati continued their search for a cohort for their family-toting vehicle. Now, after almost eight years of searching, Maserati has found a way of producing their SUV with the help of a fellow Fiat child: Ferrari.

Maserati’s planned SUV will be built on the same platform as the 2013 Jeep Grand Cherokee with Ferrari supplying the engine. Sergio Marchionne, CEO of Chrysler Group and Fiat, announced that this model should debut sometime in 2012 and will carry a "rock and roll engine," possibly in both V8 and V12 variants.

Could this be Ferrari’s way of entering the SUV segment without actually having their name slapped on the backside of a model? Quite possibly. But more important is the fact that the Porsche Cayenne may have some stiff competition in the near future. We expect a concept version to be revealed at a major auto show this year with a production version to follow in 2012.