Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO Sergio Marchionne wants Maserati to be for the Italian-led group what Porsche is for Volkswagen: a safe source of profits that depends less on the state of the economy than the group’s volume brands.
But Maserati has a very long way to go until it can compare with Porsche. Last year the luxury Italian brand sold 15,400 vehicles worldwide, less than 10 percent of the Stuttgart-based automaker’s 160,000 deliveries.
However, by 2015, Marchionne wants to sell 50,000 Maseratis a year, a sudden growth that he thinks will be filled by new models with a broader appeal – mainly the upcoming Levante SUV. But Fiat will have to be careful though not to cheapen the brand, as Maseratis are typically priced at around a 20 percent premium over similar-sized rival German cars. This is why Maserati CEO Harald Wester said a smaller model than Ghibli is not on the cards.
Some analysts are skeptical of Marchionne’s targets for Maserati, given his record for ambitious goals that sometimes fail to materialize. However, increasing demand for luxury cars among the new rich of China and other emerging markets is likely to fuel Maserati’s sales growth.
Maserati wants to emulate Porsche’s successful expansion in new market segments in recent years by using FCA’s economies of scale in purchasing, production and distribution. Maserati could also share platforms with future higher-end models of the Alfa Romeo brand.
Fiat has invested around €1.5 billion to retool the Grugliasco plant outside Turin where the Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans are built, and will invest €1 billion more at the Mirafiori plant in Turin where the Levante SUV will be made.
By Dan Mihalascu
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