Fiat Decides To Produce Masterati Levante SUV In Italy Rather Than Detroit

The Maserati Levante, which shares a common architecture with the new 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee, was supposed to have been built at Chrysler Group LLC's Jefferson North Assembly Plant starting later this year. The decision had been heralded by Gov. Rick Snyder and others in Michigan as a powerful symbol of the Fiat-Chrysler group's commitment to the state and the city.

Instead, the luxury sport utility vehicle will be built at Fiat's underutilized Mirafiori factory near its headquarters in Turin, Italy. But the company says workers at Jefferson North have nothing to fear from the decision, which was made last year but not formally announced.

PLAY - 2/19/2013 11:51:43 AM

+3 Boost

It would have killed the brand image had it been made in Detroit. Maserati is an Italian sports car maker. It would have looked bad to have its products rolling off a line in Detroit.

Sciros - 2/19/2013 12:35:29 PM

+3 Boost

Looks like an Infiniti. And I agree that being manufactured in Detroit is not something that would help Maserati. Would sure as heck help Detroit, though. Hopefully there will be another opportunity to make a high-standard care and rise to the occasion. (And I do believe the quality of the Maserati SUV would not have suffered were it made in Detroit rather than Italy.)