A Maserati SUV? Why? Considering Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW already have theirs, perhaps the better question is, why not? That's the way Sergio Marchionne looks at the matter, at any rate, according to an interview with the Wall Street Journal.

Calling the Jeep Grand Cherokee "a great architecture," Marchionne asks rhetorically, "Why wouldn't I put a Maserati on it?" Why not, indeed. The vehicle will be built at the same plant that builds the Jeep Grand Cherokee, indicating it will likely share the same powertrain options as the Jeep as well, though overseas models may get engine variants we don't see here.

The due date for this Italo-American luxury SUV is 2013. We expect pricing to be around 50-100 percent higher than the Jeep Grand Cherokee's $30,000-ish base price. This may not be the last re-use of the Grand Cherokee platform by a Fiat-owned brand, either: rumors of an Alfa Romeo SUV have also made the rounds.

Perhaps the better question isn't why or why not, but what would you think of a Jeep-based Maserati SUV? Let us know in the comments below.

[Wall Street Journal]

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