Maserati to Unveil Updated Quattroporte at 2013 Detroit Auto Show

A larger, revised version of Maserati's flagship sedan will meet the public in Detroit this January. Maserati is calling the new Quattroporte the sixth-generation of the sedan, though the changes appear minor.

The automaker says the car is "more generous in size when compared to the previous model" but didn't provide specs. New exterior styling cues tie the sedan to its coupe siblings — namely, new front-end styling, a more prominent belt line and revised taillamp design. The grille, the three side vents and Quattroporte's triangular C-pillar return.

Maserati didn't release many powertrain details. What's under the hood will likely remain a mystery until the car debuts at the Detroit auto show, though the license plate pictured (below) hints at a 530-horsepower version. The current Quattroporte is powered by a 4.7-liter V-8 that makes 434 hp in the S model and 444 hp in the Sport GTS.

Check out more pictures after the jump. Stay tuned as we learn more about the vehicles scheduled to debut at the 2013 Detroit auto show.

Recall Alert: 2012 Maserati GranTurismo and Quattroporte

Maserati is recalling 485 model-year 2012 versions of the GranTurismo and Quattroporte due to problems with the tire pressure monitoring system, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, a software error prevents the system from alerting the driver when it detects low pressure. Driving on a tire with low pressure increases the risk a crash.

Maserati will notify owners starting in early November, and dealers will replace the tire pressure monitoring system for free. Owners can call Maserati at 201-816- 2600 or NHTSA's vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236 for more info.

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Euro Flair in Full Force at 2012 Paris Motor Show

The Los Angeles Auto Show may mark the official start of the American auto show season, but the 2012 Paris Motor Show is the beginning of the international season.

This year, the 2012 Paris Motor Show offered some exciting unveilings, including the Jaguar F-Type, Porsche Panamera Sport Turismo, Lexus LF-CC and Maserati Levante. Other notables include the Audi RS5 Cabriolet, Volkswagen GTI and Volvo V40 Cross Country, which are rolling down the Parisian catwalk as we speak.

Check out the photos of some of the best releases at the show thus far.  

Maserati To Name its First SUV Levante

At the Paris Motor Show today, Maserati confirmed a name for its first SUV: the Levante. Maserati named it after a street in Bologna, Italy, where Automotive News notes the Maserati brothers moved the brand's offices in 1919. The Levante is the production version of Maserati's Kubang SUV concept (above), which we saw at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.

Maserati has yet to reveal any specifics on the production Levante besides its name, but the automaker promised the Kubang's Jeep Grand Cherokee underpinnings (Fiat controls Maserati and Jeep parent Chrysler) would mean virtually nothing to Maserati's production SUV. The automaker claims it’ll be 100% Maserati and to its credit, the Kubang looks nothing like the Grand Cherokee.

Maserati fans can exhale now that the SUV won't be called Kubang — possibly the easiest target for jokes since the Ford Aspire. The automaker also confirmed that a "new high-end E segment" four-door sedan will be called the Ghibli, resurrecting a nameplate from the 1960s and 1970s and then again in the 1990s. It will likely slot beneath the Quattroporte sedan, which Maserati confirmed it will redesign. The current Quattroporte has been around since mid-2004. Maserati didn't reveal further details or any on-sale date for the Ghibli or next-gen Quattroporte, but we'll let you know as we learn more.

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Recall Alert: 2008-10 Maserati GranTurismo and GranTurismo Convertible

Maserati has issued a recall for 1,768 GranTurismos and GranTurismo convertibles from the 2008-10 model years because of a faulty lamp assembly, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were manufactured from June 2008 to March 2010, both the taillights and brake light could fail because of the faulty lamp assembly. This could lead to reduced vehicle visibility, increasing the risk of a crash.

Maserati will notify owners this month, and dealers will inspect and replace affected rear taillamp assemblies free of charge.

For more info, owners can call Maserati at 201-816-2600 or NHTSA’s hotline at 888-327-4236.

Maserati Kubang Concept: Photo Gallery

Maserati's first foray into the SUV market will yield a vehicle composed of many different DNA strands. The new SUV, previously thought to be called the Kubang, will be built in Detroit and use Jeep Grand Cherokee architecture, a Fiat transmission and a Ferrari-sourced powertrain.

More 2012 Detroit Auto Show Coverage

Though Maserati's been throwing the Kubang name around since the first concept debuted at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, the production version will use a different moniker when it goes on sale for the 2014 model year, according to Fiat boss, Sergio Marchionne. Another version of the concept SUV resurfaced at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show.

Maserati Kubang at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show

• Competes with: Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q7, BMW X6
• Looks like: Wall Street execs have a new SUV to preorder
• Drivetrain: Unknown
• Hits dealerships: To be announced

The Kubang — too … many … jokes — is Maserati’s formal and completely official foray into the luxury SUV market. Yes, the Kubang is based on the new Jeep Grand Cherokee and rumored to be built alongside it in the U.S. But, and this is a major but, Maserati promises it will be 100% Maserati in terms of engines, brakes, suspension, handling and, of course, styling.

In terms of looks, the Kubang looks nothing like a Grand Cherokee. The front has the same concave grille we’ve seen on the Quattroporte and GranTurismo. The back also features nearly identical taillights to the GranTurismo. However, the Kubang’s overall SUV-ness reminds us of the Porsche Cayenne and Mazda CX-7.

Under the hood will be a new engine designed by Maserati that’s teamed to an eight-speed automatic transmission. A specifically tuned suspension will also be done in Italy, but there seems to be wiggle room in the company’s parsing of words over how much of this SUV will be Jeep and how much will be Maserati besides the engine itself. It could be an Italian-engineered Jeep like the Volkswagen Routan is a German-engineered Chrysler.

At least it looks like a completely different vehicle, which is good because it will likely cost three times as much as a Jeep.

Recall Alert: 2009 Maserati GranTurismo, Quattroporte

Maserati is recalling 763 GranTurismo and Quattroporte vehicles from the 2009 model year because the tie rods in the rear suspension could fail, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

In the affected vehicles, which were built between July 3 and Sept. 30, 2008, the left- and right-side wheel alignment toe-in tie rods may be incorrectly matched. Driving with the tie rods over rough roads, such as potholes, could damage them over time and cause them to fail. If this happens, the driver may lose control of the car.

The recall is expected to begin next month. Dealers will replace the affected tie rods, install a tie-rod kit and perform a wheel alignment for free. For more info, owners can call Maserati at 201-816-2600 or NHTSA’s vehicle safety hotline at 888-327-4236.

2010 Maserati GranCabrio: First Look

Maserati has released images of its first convertible since the 2006 model year, the GranCabrio, which will go on sale in the U.S. next spring. Based on the GranTurismo, the Cabrio shares the coupe's Pininfarina styling and seating for four. Though the photos only show a top-down, buttoned-up look, Maserati says the car is a soft-top. The GranCabrio gets the 433-horsepower, 4.7-liter V-8 engine from the uplevel GranTurismo S. The car will debut in the flesh on Sept. 15 at the Frankfurt Motor Show. More images below.

2008 Geneva Motor Show: 2009 Maserati Gran Turismo S

Competes with: Aston Martin V8 Vantage, Mercedes-Benz CL63 AMG

Looks like: A Maserati for the Mafia

Drivetrain: 440-hp, 4.7-liter V-8 with six-speed automated manual transmission; rear-wheel drive

Maserati's new Gran Turismo S is a performance-oriented version of the two-door coupe. It features a larger-displacement V-8 engine that makes 440 hp, which is 35 hp more than the regular Gran Turismo's V-8. The S also gets Maserati's duo-select six-speed automated manual transmission with paddle shifters in place of the six-speed automatic that the standard model uses.

The new drivetrain propels the car from zero to 62 mph in 4.9 seconds on the way to a top speed of 183 mph, according to the company. The task of stopping this sports car falls to a high-performance brake system that features six-piston front calipers.

Exterior differences between the two versions of the Gran Turismo are minor, like a red stripe on the grille trident of the S, but the car does take on a particularly menacing aura when painted black with dark gray rims, like the car in the photos. It also features a sport exhaust system. On the inside, the S has new sport seats finished in leather and Alcantara fabric.