Fiat owned and operated car manufacturer Chrysler is getting ready to build a new vehicle in one of their production plants but it’s probably not what you would expect, the company is going to manufacture the new Maserati Kubang SUV in Detroit and then export the vehicle to other destinations around the world.
The vehicle debuted today in Frankfurt and will add plenty of new jobs to Chrysler’s Jefferson North assembly plant when it eventually goes into full production.
The Maserati will have the same underbody as the Dodge Durango and Jeep Grande Cherokee SUVs, both which are built at the Jefferson North plant.
Where the Maserati SUV will differ will be it’s sheet metal design and Ferrari engine. The luxury SUV will sell for somewhere in the $100,000 range and hopes to compete with the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz who offer their own luxury utility vehicles.
The Jefferson North plant currently employs 2,800 workers over two shifts, with the introduction of a new vehicle a third shift will likely be added. During the middle part of 2010 Chrysler added 1,080 new jobs to their payroll to create their new Dodge and Jeep SUVs.
The move comes just after the Fiat 500 minicar was introduced to America by the company, however that subcompact is assembled in Mexico.
The company is also working on an Alfa Romeo SUV and 20 other vehicles based on the company’s shared platform which was created when they took a controlling interesting in Chrysler.
Do you think Fiat is making a wise decision by producing the Maserati Kubang SUV at a plant in Detroit, only to export them out of the country?
