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Maserati's new North American CEO is Chrysler's dealer guru

There's been a bit of a shakeup among the executive ranks at Chrysler and Maserati, as the Italian sports car manufacturer has appointed Peter Grady as its new North American CEO. Grady, who we imagine is about to get a very nice upgrade to his company car, will retain his role as vice president of dealer network development for Chrysler and Chrysler Capital, and is replacing Bob Graczyk at Maserati.
"It is with pleasure and anticipation that I welcome Peter to Maserati. He brings to our company nearly 30 years of leadership and experience. His background and industry expertise will be a great basis for the continued expansion of Maserati in North America," said Maserati CEO Harald Wester in a statement.
Also joining the team at Maserati is Saad Chehab, who previously worked for the Chrysler and Lancia brands and will be the new head of marketing for the Italian brand. He'll be replaced by Al Gardner, the former boss of Chrysler's southeast business center, as the head of Chrysler brand, according to Automotive News.

Maserati CEO says new Alfieri will finally make Geneva in 2020

Maserati's long-delayed Alfieri will be shown at Geneva a year from now, says company CEO Harald Wester. The Alfieri will be the model to replace the GranTurismo coupe, the production of which is expected to end later this year as Maserati's Modena plant is overhauled and retooled for the new car. Autocar reports that Wester placed the Alfieri's reveal for Geneva 2020, but that series production will not begin until 2021-2022. Earlier reports had timed the Alfieri pre-production to begin in early 2020, in time for Geneva. The Maserati lineup will be significantly updated in the near future, and will feature extensive electrification, from mild hybrids to fully electric vehicles. "Any product we touch or make will have significant electrification," Wester told Autocar. "The main launches for new products are in 2021-22, and by the end of 2022 we will have a completely new range. For each and every lineup, we will have a full battery electric version. Not only that but at least one." Future models will also include updated versions of Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levante. The Alfieri was originally shown as a concept in 2014, but the delays have forced the 2008-introduced GranTurismo to soldier on. When the Alfieri finally comes, however, it will do so as a PHEV, a mild hybrid and a full electric version. Maserati is also adamant it will build electrified sports cars profitably. "Maserati is one of the few brands who can sell cars at the cost and reality of the technology and still make money," said Wester. Related Video:

The troubled Alfa Romeo Giulia needs serious help [UPDATE]

UPDATE: An Alfa Romeo US spokesman responded to this article with the following statement: The safety concerns expressed in the story are false. The all-new 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia is designed and engineered to meet or exceed all federal safety regulations. The Alfa Romeo Giulia will begin production for the North American market in the late second-quarter of this year. Alfa Romeo will have a full product portfolio of premium vehicles that includes plans for (8) all-new Alfa Romeo vehicles by 2020. The product launches are prioritized by segment volumes starting this year with the Alfa Romeo Giulia production for North America starting in late Q2, followed by the Midsize-UV – the 2nd largest premium segment in North America. Even on the day you dragged them kicking and screaming and gesticulating wildly to a table full of concrete evidence, Alfa Romeo executives will never admit the Giulia program is going through a tough patch. But it is. Reports say the Giulia, on the eve of production, didn't just fail one internal crash test, but failed the front, side and rear impact tests. Alfa denies it. Automotive News published a report last week saying two suppliers had insisted the Giulia, on the eve of production, didn't just fail one internal crash test, but failed the front-, side-, and rear-impact tests. A third supplier source told us the same thing. Alfa is denying it. It was due on sale in Europe late last year and was supposed to be here in the next month or two. But it wasn't, and it won't. It was to be headlined by a twin-turbo V6 that reportedly howled its way around the Nurburgring 14 seconds faster than the BMW M3 could manage. That second part is only true if you believe it's fair to compare a full lap in a standard BMW M3 with a favorable accumulation of sector times to a development prototype Giulia with 220 pounds stripped out of it and rolling on hand-cut racing slicks. No, me neither. A Promising Start The Giulia's all-new architecture was developed in just two years by a skunkworks of young engineers headed by Fiat's engineering prince, Philippe Krief, and (bafflingly) sited inside Maserati's headquarters complex in Modena, about three hours from Alfa Romeo's own Turin HQ.