Maserati CEO Says The Maserati Levante Sucked At Launch CarBuzz News Features New Cars Used Cars Sell My Car Shopping Tools Car Reviews Car Finder Compare Cars Best Cars Car Dealerships Used Car Reviews Car Advice Home News Maserati CEO Says The Maserati Levante Sucked At Launch

Maserati CEO Says The Maserati Levante Sucked At Launch

Apr. 28, 2018 2:50 PM ET by Jared Rosenholtz / 8 Comments But the company is making big strides to make it better. Despite the mass popularity of SUVs, Maserati's first SUV, the Levante, hasn't been a huge success for the company. Due to slow sales, the Italian automaker has been forced to dial back production. On the verge of his retirement next year, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne talked to MotorTrend's Alisa Priddle about some of the mistakes that were made during the Levante's launch. Marchionne still thinks very highly of the Levante, but said it suffered from "Very poor execution. I think we sucked at the launch of the Levante." Marchionne went on to explain how Maserati has fixed its leadership personnel, in order to improve in the future. Since the Levante's launch, Maserati and Alfa Romeo have brought in Tim Kuniskis as the global head, replacing Reid Bigland. Kuniskis is well-known in the industry for his work creating the Dodge Hellcats and Demon, which have both garnered lots of attention from media outlets. Maserati has also increased hype for the Levante by giving it something it should have had from the start - a V8 engine. The new Levante Trofeo should help add to the SUV's popularity within the luxury market. The new 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8 in the Trofeo produces 590 horsepower and 516 lb-ft of torque, which should make it a fine rival for models such as the Porsche Cayenne Turbo, and Jaguar F-Pace SVR. Unfortunately, FCA sells another high-powered SUV called the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. For less money, FCA is selling a 707-hp SUV, albeit with a less luxurious look and feel. Although most people won't cross shop the Jeep and the Maserati, it make us wonder if a V8 is enough to save the Levante. Maserati

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Maserati Levante Jared Rosenholtz Editor-at-Large After graduating with an MBA, Jared pursued his love of cars by becoming an automotive journalist. An internship with CarBuzz grew into his current position as Editor At Large. Jared now spends most of his time evaluating new vehicles and chasing the latest news stories in the automotive industry. When he’s not attending Cars & Coffee events on the weekend, Jared loves to watch NFL football and cruise around with the top down in his German convertible. Contact Jared @Carsnbites @jar_rosenholtz LoginSign Up Home News Features Car Reviews Car Advice 2021 CarBuzz Awards New Cars Used Cars Future Cars Compare Cars Sell My Car Car Dealerships Buy Here Pay Here Used Car Reviews Popular Tags Cars # Video # TOP # Spy Shots # Reveal # Rumor # Auto Show # Supercar # Tuning # Car Culture # Industry News # Motorsport Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Make Acura Alfa Romeo Aston Martin Audi Bentley BMW Bollinger Bugatti Buick Cadillac Caterham Chevrolet Chrysler Dodge Ferrari Fiat Fisker Ford Genesis GMC Hennessey Honda Hyundai Infiniti Jaguar Jeep Karma Kia Koenigsegg Lamborghini Land Rover Lexus Lincoln Lordstown Lotus Lucid Motors Maserati Mazda McLaren Mercedes-Benz Mini Mitsubishi Nissan Pagani Polestar Porsche Ram Rimac Rivian Rolls-Royce Spyker Subaru Tesla Toyota Volkswagen Volvo By Car Type SUVs Crossovers Sedans Coupes Trucks Sports Cars Wagons Vans Hatchbacks Convertibles Small Cars Luxury Cars Electric Cars Hybrid Cars Future Cars By Price Up to $15K $15K - $25K $25K - $35K $35K - $45K $45K - $55K $55K - $75K $75K - $100K $100K - $200K $200K - $300K Above $300K Back To Top