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 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.

Analysts expect the vehicle to be powered by a next-generation V-8 engine from another Fiat unit: Ferrari.

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.