- Maserati sales dropped sharply from 15,300 to 6,500 units in the first half of 2024.
- The Italian brand plans to launch a flagship SUV and an electric Quattroporte by 2028.
- Stellantis reiterated its commitment to keeping the Maserati alive and thriving.
Maserati is having a rough time in 2024. Through the first half of the year, sales at the brand slumped from 15,300 to 6,500, despite the brand having one of the newest line-ups it’s had in several years. According to Stellantis chief executive Carlos Tavares, it’s marketing that is holding Maserati back.
Serving as the halo to the current Maserati range is the mid-engined MC20. While it’s out-muscled by hybrid rivals from the likes of McLaren, Lamborghini, and Ferrari, that doesn’t take away from it being an excellent supercar. The latest-generation GranTurismo is also a significant improvement over the car it replaced, and both the Levante and Grecale SUVs were expected to be popular with customers.
Read: Stellantis Won’t Kill Maserati Despite Plummeting Sales
Tavares recently spoke with Motor1 Italy about the Maserati brand and said he believes it has the right cars in its range and just needs the correct marketing so the world knows about them.
“With Maserati, we have the right cars and we have the right technologies,” he said. “We can offer thermal or 100% electric luxury sports cars. If sales are sluggish right now, it is a matter of marketing. We have also improved a lot on the quality front, but now we need to work on marketing. We lack prospects and leads, we need to reach potential customers and deliver the right message for the right positioning.”
Tavares didn’t say if there are plans in place to boost Maserati’s marketing budget, but something needs to be done. And it needs to be done fast. Between January and June, the Italian brand lost €82 million and while Stellantis has walked back previous threats from Tavares to shut down underperforming brands, the conglomerate can’t cope with disappointing financial results like these for long.
Several new Maserati models are in the works. These include an electric version of the MC20, as well as a flagship new SUV. An all-electric replacement to the outdated Quattroporte is also scheduled to arrive in 2028.
