Maserati is an exotic brand. It has this cache among ordinary people who like it’such as Rolls or Bugatti, when in reality it occupies a class somewhere just north of Alfa Romeo. The new Grecale midsize SUV starts at just $65,000, for crying out loud. Somewhere, an unscrupulous Toyota dealer is probably trying change RAV4 Prime cost moreas I write this post.
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But Maserati doesn’t plan to stay in a particular lane. Totally comfortable being all things to all people, like a auto news interview with the boss of the brand on this side of the pond illustrated on Friday.
In the story, William Peffer, CEO of Maserati Americas, says that the House of Trident is not ready to commit to a death date for models powered by internal combustion engines. He also credits Stellantis’ powertrain diversity with numerous resources:
“The only reason we can [offer so many body styles and powertrains] is because we are part of Stellantis,” said Maserati Americas CEO William Peffer auto news. “We are dual investing, which is great.”
This is a period of brand rejuvenation and expansion, which has been marred by a lineup that has become stale over the past decade. Its US sales, after peaking at 13,699 in 2017, have fallen by four over the next five years.
New product scarcity is easing with the introduction of the halo MC20 in 2022, the Grecale and the impending return of the GranTurismo coupe, which was discontinued in 2019. The GranTurismo runs. Gasoline will debut first this summer, followed by an electric version soon after.
Last year, Maserati said it would go all-electric by 2030 and launch electric versions of each nameplate by 2025. However, Peffer didn’t hold the brand on any specific date for doing so. complete converter.
“In North America, I don’t know of a definite date that says, ‘At this point, this date, we won’t be selling ICE anymore,'” Peffer said. He added that Maserati is watching to see “what adoption looks like, observing and seeing where consumer preferences are headed, observing and seeing how the rest of the industry tackles aspects of [charging] infrastructure and the like.”
Maserati’s long-standing product line has certainly fallen out of favor in recent years, which is why the decision to make New GranTurismo visually almost exactly as the only one, save for the cup, is considered an odd choice. Sure, the GranTurismo has always been an attractive car, but I have to constantly remind myself that the 2024 model year is more than just a mid-motorcycle upgrade.
Meanwhile, dealers seem poised for Grecale to attract new customers to the showroom. In an era where every brand is trying to slide into the premium market, where margins are much higher, Maserati content makes a play in the mass luxury car mass.
The Grecale starts at $64,995 including shipping, a price that may surprise some consumers. Houston Maserati dealer Steven Wolf says the brand’s image might make people think its products are out of reach, but Grecale is more accessible.
“I think a lot of people don’t know that you can buy a Maserati for about $60,000, and I think that’s the thing. [where] that word needs to be given,” said Wolf, who held a private meeting at his dealership for potential customers to test Grecale in September. “I think it will be an important push for us. We’re running a TV campaign; We’re going to spend a lot of money talking about that. We have it on our digital billboards, we include it in our email series, and I think that drives traffic, at least the chance for someone to come check it out.”
According to Maserati, early data shows that up to 80% of Grecale’s orders represent “conquering” buyers — meaning they reviewed models from multiple brands before making a purchase. If they want to go electric with their next Maserati, the brand has a plan Folgore line in a ready position. And if they prefer another twin-turbo V6, they might have a better version of that same engine. behind them, in a convertible. It’s all part of Maserati’s do-it-all strategy, why not?
