Maserati Kubang GT Wagon

The Maserati Kubang GT Wagon was the first of the two Kubang concepts, shown at the Detroit auto show in 2003 and drawn by Giorgetto Giugiaro with Italdesign. It sat between a grand tourer and a station wagon, with a body raised from the ground that gave it the look of a modern crossover, yet its centre of gravity was about 100 mm lower than the average sport utility vehicle and its weight distribution of 48 percent front and 52 percent rear suited a sports car better than an off-roader. It was powered by a V8 of 390 CV, was intended to have all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic gearbox, and its unconventional interior could be arranged for four, five or even seven seats. Alfa Romeo showed its own sporting SUV concept, the Kamal, the same year. The GT Wagon never went into production, but it set a precedent that opened the marque to a new kind of vehicle, which returned with the 2011 Kubang concept and the production Levante.