Maserati is ambitiously setting sales targets to get itself out of the muck like an overweight person sets New Year's resolutions to get in shape. Despite the initial success of the Quattroporte and the Ghibli, things have seriously slowed down which leaves us wondering, how will Maserati meet its goals? According to an Autocar interview with Maserati brand manager Giulio Pastore, the company is banking its entire future on the success of the Levante SUV. As most car manufactures are finding out, pimping out SUVs is the way to consumers' wallets.

But can a single SUV bring Maserati up from selling 36,000 cars in 2014 to flipping 70,000 by 2018? It seems a bit outlandish to expect that the SUV alone will sell 34,000 units, but it worked with Porsche. In 2014, Porsche sold 45,000 units of its brand new Macan SUV. These sales were made extra sweet because 75 percent of these folks were first-time Porsche buyers, and there isn't much an automaker likes more than recruiting new customers. If Maserati can pull off Stuttgart levels of success with the Levante, then it's right to be placing such high hopes on it. Here at CarBuzz we have ulterior motives behind hoping for the Levante's success. If Maserati can make enough cash, then it will finally build the gorgeous Alfier grand tourer.