Maserati will make the Baby Quattroporte in ex-Bertone factory

The prediction of a baby Quattroporte which was supposed to hit the production line has been turned into reality after a conversation between Fiat’s CEO Sergio Marchionne and Italy’s Minister of Labor and Social Policies, Maurizio Sacconi.

Codenamed M157, the baby Quattroporte will be manufactured at the Grugliasco plant in Italy, after Fiat will invest 500 million euros. The ex-Bertone factory will also produce the next generation of the Quattroporte and the upcoming Maserati SUV, both of them hitting the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.

Rumors say that the new baby Quattroporte will use Chrysler underpinnings, with a front engine and rear-wheel drive platform, and it will be powered by a twin-turbocharged version of the 3.0 liter Pentastar V6 engine.

The next generation of its bigger brother, the Quattroporte, is rumored to be equipped with a Maserati-designed 4.7 liter V8 unit, mated to Chrysler’s eight-speed ZF transmission, while the upcoming SUV will be based on the Grand Cherokee.

The Quattroporte will rival the BMW 7-Series, the smaller M157 will go against the 5-Series while the new SUV will battle with the Porsche Cayenne.

Production of the new “baby Quattroporte” is expected to begin in late 2012.

by inautonews