Alexandre
The brand Maseratithe emblem of Italian elegance and luxury tourism, is going through difficult times. With plummeting sales and dramatically low revenuesWith sales down 58 % in the first nine months of 2024, the situation for the trident manufacturer continues to deteriorate. Faced with this crisis, Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, admits that the high prices of Maserati models could be a blocking factor for the brand.which is struggling to convince in a market that has become extremely competitive. One of many statements made during a visit to the Modena plant on Tuesday.
Tough competition in the luxury segment
In the luxury car market, Maserati finds itself at an impasse against direct competitors such as Porsche, which offers comparable models at more attractive prices. The Maserati Grecale Folgore, the brand's electric SUV, starts at €125,850, while the electric Porsche Macan, a serious contender, is priced at €86,439. This contrast is also evident in the sports segment: the Maserati MC20 GT2 Stradale, priced at €350,000, has to contend with the Porsche 911 GT3 RS, which starts at €253,454. By way of further comparison, a Lamborghini Huracan STO was sold new from €300,000.
Another model, the Maserati Granturismo Folgore, priced at €199,950, clashes with the Porsche Taycan Turbo, available from €179,560. This price discrepancy may explain why Maserati is struggling to capture the interest of the Porsche market.a demanding, pragmatic audience, even in the luxury market.
A pricing strategy that could evolve?
Carlos Tavares recently mentioned that pricing could play a major role in Maserati's difficulty in attracting current and potential customers. He also stressed the importance of clarifying the brand's positioning, which aspires to embody "great performance tourism" and the Italian "dolce vita".
There's no guarantee that Maserati will lower prices in response to Carlos Tavares' statement. of its models. But cutting prices could be an effective lever for revitalizing Maserati. Stellantis, who has promised to reorient Maserati towards sustainable growth, could consider this option to regain market share and thus pull Maserati out of its downward spiral.
they still haven't understood that it's the lack of product in the range (Alfieri), the non-renewal of the Quattroporte in 2 sizes as well as the Levante in 2 sizes (Possible with the Jeep Grand Cherokee platform), making hybrid vehicles while voluntarily restricting the number of examples for exclusivity plus a real return to Endurance in GT3 with the MC20 as well as a Gentleman drivers championship are the vital Maserati solutions?
The Grecale, magnificent as it is, is a Premium product (Lancia) that has no place in the Maserati range, as was the case with the Ghibli. What's missing is a product to replace the 4200GT and its Spyder alongside the Granturismo.
Ferrari understood it, Jaguar is preparing for it and Aston too.
"Carlos Tavares, CEO of Stellantis, admits that the high prices of Maserati models could be a blocking factor for the brand."
Lol. He's the one who raised them...
the problem also comes from FCA, which has suddenly decided to go for volume instead of the exclusivity that justifies the price increase. Marchionne has put the cart before the horse, and Tavares is digging the grave. The detachment is inevitable, as Stellantis doesn't have the consumer image to make Alfa Romeo and Maserati profitable. As for Abarth, Fiat and Lancia, they have similar brands, so it's much easier there.
Both MASERATI and ALFA have always been far too expensive, especially over the past 20 years...
It didn't help sell the 159, BRERA, GIULIA, STELVIO...
A gran turismo was worth €130,000 10 years ago, now it's worth €200,000.
We don't attack German premiums head-on, otherwise people would take Mercedes or Porsche....
This is normal, as Maserati is not a Premium brand. It's a Prestige brand like Aston Jaguar Ferrari and others.
Can we ask the stellanti butchery to make or sell caviar?????
Where did the Alfieri, which won rave reviews from the press and the public in its day, go? To oblivion.....and that's just one example, but there are so many others in the Italian automotive sector (Mito GTA and cabrio, Alfa Romeo Kamal, Giulia station wagon, Alfa Romeo Brera faithful to the concept) and so many other projects that never came to fruition, not to mention the non-replacement of the Punto, Giulietta, Mito, 166, Duetto, Lancia left to rot... I'll stop here because the list is long, so look no further for the reasons behind the decadence of the Italian automotive industry.