The 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in September could see the much-awaited new Maserati SUV appear in concept form. According to Automotive News, the model will debut in concept form, before an official production debut closer to its 2013 market release.

The Maserati SUV will be based on the Jeep Grand Cherokee, but would be equipped with the Italian brand’s 4.7-litre V8 engien with about 450 hp and the eight-speed ZF automatic transmission. The challenge for Maserati is not to produce a rebadged Chrysler group SUV under the trident brand, and so some exterior Maserati bodywork will be used and we will get a new interior, too.

Essential to the European market (and possibly exclusive to it according to ANE), the Maserati SUV could get a three-litre, V6 diesel with about 300 hp. It would be the same unit from VM Motori which currently equips the European-export Grand Cherokee. No pricing speculation has been given but it is likely to be what we’d expect of Maserati luxury, and start at more than the Jeep Grand Cherokee Italian price of about 63,800 euros.

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