RE: Frankfurt: Maserati SUV
Wednesday 14th September 2011
Is nothing sacred? Apparently not, Maserati grasping the nettle that is the disparity between what classic sporting brands built their reputations on and the kind of cars (many of) those with the money like to buy.
Why? Because under the skin these two are actually closely related. If you've just staggered reeling from the horror that is the 'Lancia' stand and its rebadged Chrysler knock-offs that won't be good news.
And the styling? Hard not to imagine Maserati taking a long hard look at the Cayenne, knocking back an espresso or two and thinking "well, it worked for them..." before photoshopping a Quattroporte onto the Jeep chassis and sending the plans off to the bodyshop.
Frankfurt: Maserati SUV
Maserati Kubang plays the Porsche Cayenne game
And, as Porsche will gladly tell you, a healthy number like to buy SUVs with posh badges and sporty grilles, no matter how incongruously applied. Or out of step with the brand heritage.
Hence this, a Maserati 4x4. It's an amusing coincidence that this car shares its Frankfurt debut with the first European showing of the 6.4-litre, HEMI-powered Jeep Cherokee SRT.
It may come as a small relief to hear that Maserati has gone to a little more effort than slapping a trident badge on the actually rather decent Cherokee. It's had the good grace to fit its own V8, which amusingly delivers similar power to the 470hp 6.4-litre SRT despite displacing three-quarters as much.
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Discussion
EDLT said:
In before "purists" cry that Maserati is now "ruined" even though they have never and will never buy a new one.
Congrats, you got in before those pesky purists. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Maserati's been ruined, I tell you, ruined.Being serious, you really do have to wonder whether any of the people who run these car firms now have any concept of the market segments that their brand fits into. It's like the supermarkets. They all want to sell everything to everyone, rather than concentrating on what they're good at. No one company can sell everything to everyone so they will all fail.
It's not the worst thing ever, but as other have said... looks a bit pacific rim.
Actually I think it would be absolutely fine except it has a Maserati badge on it. It looks absolutely fine but definitely not premium. An X5 is far far more premium than this. Also WTF is going on with those dreadful wheels? And the black plastic sills
.
I love Alfa Romeo, but this should have been one.
Actually I think it would be absolutely fine except it has a Maserati badge on it. It looks absolutely fine but definitely not premium. An X5 is far far more premium than this. Also WTF is going on with those dreadful wheels? And the black plastic sills
.I love Alfa Romeo, but this should have been one.
masermartin said:
Congrats, you got in before those pesky purists. Now, where was I? Oh, yes. Maserati's been ruined, I tell you, ruined.
Being serious, you really do have to wonder whether any of the people who run these car firms now have any concept of the market segments that their brand fits into. It's like the supermarkets. They all want to sell everything to everyone, rather than concentrating on what they're good at. No one company can sell everything to everyone so they will all fail.
Except for Waitrose. Unashamedly middle class.Being serious, you really do have to wonder whether any of the people who run these car firms now have any concept of the market segments that their brand fits into. It's like the supermarkets. They all want to sell everything to everyone, rather than concentrating on what they're good at. No one company can sell everything to everyone so they will all fail.
Something deeply ungainly about the rake of the B-pillars when seen from a rear three-quarter view.
I don't understand why someone hasn't made a decent-looking posh off-roader yet. They're either designed to be enormous slab-sided blinged-up drug-dealer monstrosities (Range Rovers, X5, Touareg, anything American) or smoothed-off hideous blobs of nasty (Cayenne, this). The Alfa Kamal was OK (although the concept was a horrible colour). Surely it can't be *that* hard?
I don't understand why someone hasn't made a decent-looking posh off-roader yet. They're either designed to be enormous slab-sided blinged-up drug-dealer monstrosities (Range Rovers, X5, Touareg, anything American) or smoothed-off hideous blobs of nasty (Cayenne, this). The Alfa Kamal was OK (although the concept was a horrible colour). Surely it can't be *that* hard?
r11co said:
So does anyone with any taste dislike the Cayenne, but it still sells by the containerload. So that tells me that your opinion (and mine) counts for jack-s
t as far as this is concerned....
Brand heritage aside, the Cayenne is significantly easier on the eyes. The Maserati is a seriously ugly design (imo). And those wheels just remind me of the triple sports sold with LR Freelanders, which doesn't help...t as far as this is concerned....Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff