What Is It?
Maserati Kubang
What's Special About It?
With Maserati styling and a healthy V8 under the hood, this design concept attempts to blend the performance Maserati is known for with the functionality that the public craves. Named after a Javan wind, the Kubang has multiple seating configurations that allow it to fit up to six passengers comfortably. A rear cargo area can be accessed by either lifting the expansive glass hatch or dropping the tailgate. The interior is classic Maserati with rich wood accents and contrasting leather upholstery.
You can't have a sport tourer without giving it all-wheel drive so the Kubang has a torque-proportioning system to give it some measure of rough-road ability. To keep its on-road performance in top form it retains highly desirable 48/52 front/rear weight distribution and a center of gravity considerably lower than most SUVs. Power comes from the same 4.2-liter V8 used in the Maserati coupe and spyder while the transmission is a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic. With 390 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, the Kubang is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in under six seconds, according to Maserati.
Why Should You Care?
You shouldn't, and hopefully no one else will either. Between the Kubang and the Porsche Cayenne, we can barely stomach the thought of how much time and effort that these dedicated sports car manufacturers have put into SUV development. One can only wonder what Maserati could have come up with had it not wasted its time on this forgettable sport-utility concept. — Ed Hellwig
Maserati Kubang
What's Special About It?
With Maserati styling and a healthy V8 under the hood, this design concept attempts to blend the performance Maserati is known for with the functionality that the public craves. Named after a Javan wind, the Kubang has multiple seating configurations that allow it to fit up to six passengers comfortably. A rear cargo area can be accessed by either lifting the expansive glass hatch or dropping the tailgate. The interior is classic Maserati with rich wood accents and contrasting leather upholstery.
You can't have a sport tourer without giving it all-wheel drive so the Kubang has a torque-proportioning system to give it some measure of rough-road ability. To keep its on-road performance in top form it retains highly desirable 48/52 front/rear weight distribution and a center of gravity considerably lower than most SUVs. Power comes from the same 4.2-liter V8 used in the Maserati coupe and spyder while the transmission is a paddle-shifted six-speed automatic. With 390 horsepower and 330 pound-feet of torque, the Kubang is capable of accelerating to 60 mph in under six seconds, according to Maserati.
Why Should You Care?
You shouldn't, and hopefully no one else will either. Between the Kubang and the Porsche Cayenne, we can barely stomach the thought of how much time and effort that these dedicated sports car manufacturers have put into SUV development. One can only wonder what Maserati could have come up with had it not wasted its time on this forgettable sport-utility concept. — Ed Hellwig
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