What was the De Tomaso SLS (and again previously the SLC) is now the De Tomaso Deauville and it has been revealed live at the Geneva Motor Show. The name would suggest the model has taken on that American air which was the source of some criticism in Europe, and in addition there has been some confusion as to what exactly De Tomaso is trying to achieve with this model. It’s the first in the revived brand’s line-up and to have some doubt over whether they’re going premium, luxury, supercar, sports style etc could prove to be a problem in the future.

In any case, the revealing of the De Tomaso Deauville was accompanied by the news that at the Los Angeles auto show in November we will see the revival of De Tomaso’s most famous creation: the Pantera. A luxury sedan has also been confirmed for 2012 and with ongoing negotiations over production plants in Italy, it will be a busy year for the company.

The De Tomaso Deauville passed from being a Sport Luxury Crossover to a Sport Luxury Sedan in the space of a few days, but the model probably still reflects more the former in terms of design. It has a UNIVIS aluminium chassis (we’re waiting on more details as to exactly what that is) and large dimensions. The Deauville has been designed by Pininfarina but is equipped with a General Motors engine: a 2.8-litre turbo V6 with 300 hp is the launch version. In the future we will also see a V8 with 550 hp and a V6 diesel with 250 hp.

De Tomaso Deauville live at 2011 Geneva Motor Show

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