The redesigned Maserati Quattroporte sedan will debut at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in January. It will go on sale next spring.

The Italian automaker sent out some pictures of the new car on Tuesday but released few details.

Based on the photos, the design is unmistakably Maserati, with the three vents on the front fender and the big C-pillar.

In a statement, Maserati design boss Lorenzo Ramaciotti said that some of the elements from the previous model have been intentionally retained, such as the front grille, the three side vents and the triangular C-pillar. The Quattroporte is moving up a bit in size to make room for the upcoming Ghibli sedan, which will compete with the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and BMW 5-Series.

Maserati hasn't given any specs yet, but word out of Europe is that both V6 and V8 engines will be offered, as will rear- and all-wheel drive.

Maserati CEO Harald Wester said the automaker has big plans, including growing the business to 50,000 units a year by 2015 (compared to just under 10,000 today) and adding two new production sites on two continents.

"It starts with the all-new 2013 Maserati Quattroporte," he said.

Through the first 10 months of this year, Maserati has sold 2,224 cars in the United States, according to Automotive News, a sister publication of Autoweek. That's up 17.5 percent from the same period in 2011.

-- Wes Raynal

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