Maserati has joined the SUV segment with a bang, literally. It's calling its 4x4 concept, which was unveiled at Frankfurt, the Kubang. And it's sort of appropriate, because the internet tells us that ‘kubang' is Malay for ‘wallow'.
Maserati fans will doubtless be unhappy about the sullying of the marque's racing pedigree, but don't forget the initial reaction to the Cayenne wasn't entirely dissimilar — and now it's the biggest selling Porsche model. Maserati is aiming for a similar success story.
Interestingly, the idea of a Trident 4x4 was mooted way back in 2003, when the company first gave the world a glimpse of the Kubang concept at the Detroit auto show. But following poor audience response, the wraps were put back on rather sharpish. And it was never seen or heard of again — until now.
The Kubang, which will enlarge Maserati's product range, promises to be a luxurious SUV with a sporty edge. The carmaker says that today's SUVs are unable to offer the "uplifting driving pleasure that is present in high-end sports and luxury cars," and is aiming to put that right.
It claims the Kubang will boast all the characteristics that make a Maserati so much fun. "It will all be 100 per cent Maserati in picture-perfect continuity with the brand's core values of sportiness, elegance, performance and craftsmanship."
For now, we'll also ignore the fact that the Kubang is actually based on the very American, and very wallowy, Jeep Grand Cherokee. On the upside, at least in theory, it should have the ‘go anywhere, anytime' attributes of the Jeep. But the looks? That's a whole different story.
The Kubang was designed by Lorenzo Ramaciotti and packs the trademark Maserati grille and a strong character line visually linking it to its sportier siblings. Despite the bloated proportions, it's still unmistakably a Maserati.
Fittingly, all the important oily bits such as the drivetrain will be pure Maser. The Kubang will feature new-generation engines designed in Modena by Paolo Martinelli — the head of the Maserati powertrain department. He certainly knows a thing or two about motors, having spent almost 30 years at Ferrari as engine chief of the Formula 1 racing team. They'll be produced in Maranello by Ferrari.
The engine will be mated to an eight-speed automatic with specific performance settings, while the suspension, brakes and steering will be exclusively developed by the Maserati Product Development Department.
