When parent company Stellantis published its half-year report, the numbers didn't look great for Maserati. Deliveries to customers fell from 15,300 to just 6,500 cars through June 2024. What happened? Well, according to Carlos Tavares, the worrying sales drop was caused by inefficient marketing rather than issues with the products or pricing strategy.
"With Maserati, we have the right cars and we have the right technologies. 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."
But it wasn't that long ago when Carlos Tavares hinted at a grim future for the fabled Italian brand: "If they don't make money, we'll shut them down. We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money." It's as simple as that." Ok, he wasn't explicitly referring to Maserati as he was talking about all the brands sitting underneath the giant corporate umbrella.
Stellantis later issued a press release saying all 14 companies are staying where they are, reaffirming a commitment it made in 2021 to invest in all brands for 10 years. It means that struggling brands such as Lancia and DS Automobiles still have until around the end of the decade to turn things around.
Maserati hopes to improve sales by continuing a multi-year process to renew and expand its lineup. Following the launch of the fully electric GranCabrio Folgore earlier this year, the next step is to introduce an MC20 Folgore in 2025. A large electric SUV will arrive in 2027, with a zero-emission Quattroporte sedan earmarked for a 2028 debut.
