Maserati could be described as a bittersweet story throughout the Fiat group. It has traditionally been a luxurious automotive marque carefully related to Ferrari and one of the best of the Italian automotive business. After many years of racing and several other ownerships, the marque turned a part of Fiat within the Nineteen Nineties and rather a lot has occurred since then.

The arrival of Italy’s largest automaker has meant many alternatives and challenges. On the one hand, Fiat introduced in not solely money, but in addition its factories and world presence. Maserati may due to this fact lastly breathe thanks to those assets and capabilities. Alternatively, the arrival of the Agnellis additionally meant extra paperwork and fewer flexibility.

In 2002, ten years after the acquisition by Fiat, world gross sales of Maserati amounted to three,300 items. It was a distinct segment luxurious model, that includes solely three fashions: the Coupe, the Spyder, and the 3200 GT. This restricted provide endured for a minimum of one other 10 years. Maserati positioned itself because the youthful brother of the sporty Ferrari model, and huge volumes weren’t a part of the plan.

The Enlargement

All the things modified when, in 2010, Fiat introduced that Maserati would be a part of a brand new luxurious/premium group, which might additionally embody Alfa Romeo and Abarth. “Sporting traits and efficiency” have been the widespread values.

The growth started in 2013 when Maserati launched two new saloons, the Quattroporte and Ghibli, simply as world markets have been clearly shifting from saloons, estates, hatchbacks, and MPVs to SUVs. The posh model determined to go straight in opposition to well-positioned premium manufacturers resembling Mercedes and BMW. And it labored, a minimum of at first.

In 2014, Maserati offered a document 32,800 items, or greater than seven occasions the quantity offered 5 years earlier. Area of interest branding was a factor of the previous. Now, underneath the FCA Group, Maserati may assume greater and broaden its presence overseas with refined merchandise that in some circumstances used Ferrari engines.

The tempo of progress accelerated with the arrival of the Levante, the model’s first SUV. On the time of its presentation in 2016, direct rival Porsche had already been promoting the Cayenne for 14 years. In 2017, the corporate set an all-time gross sales document with 49,000 items.

The Fall

Whereas the Levante was quickly gaining floor within the luxurious SUV section, the remainder of the lineup was ageing quickly with no new generations arriving anytime quickly.

As world saloon volumes continued to say no, Maserati delayed the event of an eventual new era of the Ghibli and Quattroporte, already six years outdated as of 2018. Thus, the shortage of latest merchandise and the ageing Levante negatively impacted world gross sales. Quantity dropped by 29 p.c between 2017 and 2018, by 26 p.c between 2018 and 2019, 7 p.c between 2019 and 2021 (excluding 2020, when the pandemic hit the markets), and 4 p.c between 2021 and 2022.

The Rebirth

Luckily, Maserati fought again in 2021, when it started a sequence of launches that continued into this 12 months. The MC20, the MC20 Cielo, the Grecale, and the brand-new Granturismo are giving life to the model. They’re characterised by the true Maserati DNA when it comes to design, expertise, and high quality. However will they be sufficient to place Maserati again on the radar?

The creator of the article, Felipe Munoz, is an Automotive Trade Specialist at JATO Dynamics.