Opinion: it could be the right time for Maserati to change tack
Can a line-up overhaul and revised global business strategy be the (re)making of the once-prestigious Italian manufacturer?
If it feels like we’ve been talking about Maserati’s big rebirth for over a decade, it’s because we have.
Back in 2007 the Italian car maker confirmed its first trading profit since coming under partial Fiat ownership in 1990. Execs at the time claimed the brand would leave its troubled history behind, establishing itself as a true challenger for the Germans.
Global sales took a massive leap from less than 7,500 units to over 50,000 units by 2017, bolstered by the arrival of the GranTurismo range, and later the Ghibli, second-generation Quattroporte and (in 2016) the Levante. But 2018 was a particularly difficult year, with the SUV’s appeal already fast waning in the face of newer (and frankly better) rivals.
The time for another ‘reinvention’ seems to be nigh, but the brand has one big advantage now - its parent company, FCA, no longer owns and controls Ferrari.
There was traditionally a conflict between the two high-end Italian firms, with many suggesting Maserati’s sporting models were effectively held back in terms of performance and chassis development so as not to make the cars coming out of Maranello look like inferior value.
The days of worrying about treading on Ferraris toes are over, however. Maserati engineers can push the boundaries of what they are capable of without fear of repercussions from those higher up the food chain. That should be good news for the Alfieri, if it ever arrives…
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