Maserati’s American-Made SUV: Levante

Fiat SpA's Maserati unit tells reporters at the Paris auto show that the production version of its Kubang SUV concept will be called the Levante. The new model is expected to go on sale in 2014.

Chrysler Group LLC, a unit of Fiat, will produce the Levante (Italian for "east") in the U.S., perhaps at its Jefferson North plant in Detroit. The vehicle shares its chassis with the Jeep Grand Cherokee SUV and Mercedes-Benz M-Class SUV. The platform was developed when Daimler AG owned Chrysler.

Maserati, which intends to multiply its annual sales from 6,200 last year to 50,000 units by 2015, hopes to sell at least 20,000 Levantes per year.

When it showed the Kubang at the Frankfurt auto show a year ago, Maserati said the production version would have its own drivetrain and braking system. Analysts expect the vehicle to be powered by a next-generation V-8 engine from another Fiat unit: Ferrari.