Ferrari makes engines for Maserati and for Alfa Romeo, so what's the big deal if Maserati uses the basic platform chassis from a Jeep, its a great SUV and Maserati will make better (Incidentally Jeep is part of Chrysler, not GM). Also Porsche uses VW's chassis's for their SUVs, the Cayenne uses the chassis from the Toureg for example. So if its good for Porsche why wouldn't it be ok for Maserati? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
This is not true, Maserati's SUV the Lavante will use the QP/Ghibli platform and will also be built in Torino.
I think that Maserati have done an excellent job so far in their brand resurgence. From the initial reboot under Ferrari's tenure to the present day, they have released beautiful designs targeted to specific customer segments and I would feel proud to own any one of them. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
This is what is being said at Autoblog .... not the best of times currently at Maserati Maserati to halt production for one week in November Hope the new models turn things around. Ivan
I don't think that Maserati's poor sales are attributable to their cars, I think it's poor marketing Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Maserati's advertising seems weak and I see big geographic gaps in the dealer network. There are big swaths of the USA that are not being covered, but I don't see that changing until Maserati gets an SUV into the product mix. I am hundreds of miles from a Maserati dealer where I live, but we have thriving Audi, BMW, and Mercedes dealers. A big chunk of their sales appear to be SUVs and crossovers, however.
I agree, there is literally only 1 Maserati dealer in the greater Toronto area, and it's not even in Toronto but in the suburb of Woodbridge which is northwest of the main Centre of the city. Oh correction, there is a shoebox of a showroom (no service area) opened by that dealer in downtown Toronto which is mostly closed to prevent others from opening a Maserati dealer in Toronto, a 5 million population city. As you can imagine there are many Mercedes, BMW, Audi and even Porsche dealers. The same Maserati dealer just opened a full dealer location in a city called Oakville which is about a 30 to 45 minute drive out of greater Toronto. A lot of purchasing decisions on luxury cars are made based on convenience. This is not Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I have a local maser dealer so thats not an issue for why hardly see ghibli or qp around. Lots of coupes and cabs though. And theres plenty of local advertising and low lease rates, etc. So imo, issue has to be the car itself for why local buyers prefer audi, bmw, mb to maser sedans.
Maserati is building an stylish alternative to the typical generic Audi/BMW/MB German sedan. Much like what Jaguar used to be, (now they look like really nice Volvos). The fact is that many people look at a car as an appliance and are flat out intimidated by driving a Maserati because of the type of car that and the image it projects. The Audi/BMW/MB cars have followed the Lexus model of a mind numbing snooze mobile. Maseratis are cars that you drive not a car that drives you. Which many people want today.
Well, though I hate to admit it, you have a point. Maybe Maserati should focus on more sports cars and 2+2 coupes in different price ranges starting at a much lower level like Porsche originally did? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Tons of panameras in my neighborhood. Thats not a snooze mobile. People are also buying maser coupes and cabs instead of sl and 650 so not adverse to maser. I think maser sedans have missed the mark
And somebody married Whoopie Goldberg too. The Panamera is like that Blind Date your best friend in college's Girl Friend fixed you up with, but would only tell you she has a great personality. Next time your driving and you come upon a BMW/MB, look who is driving. More than likely it is a female. Audi's run about 50/50. Maseratis on the other hand are 90% male and Panameras they are 100 % far sighted.
Auto-Salon Geneva, the answer from Harald Wester on the question what will happen with the Alfieri: "First we renew the GranTurismo and the convertible, then we'll see. We want him, but it is not a simple project that also depends on the success of the Levante".
I'm with you, a very cautious statement. Found this picture in a German magazine under the news section titled with "Alfieri". In my eyes is this the new Granturismo/Grancabrio. We will see... Image Unavailable, Please Login
Wow, new GT first...and dependent upon (financial) success of the SUV...wow, this alfieri is far from a green light...for some reason I thought it was a go already and coming before the updated GT. The odds of this car happening are small based on my interpretation of that quote. Sigh.
Yes, much more likely the new Granturismo/Grancabrio... I hope, however, that the final versions will be much, much more exciting design-wise.
I understand that a small operation like Maserati must allocate its resources wisely, but I would nevertheless be very disappointed if the Alfieri gets postponed even further - or even (and I sincerely hope not) cancelled... Maserati has become a large-car company, without a single nimble, sporty, smaller car in its product spectrum.
I would not be suprised to see an updated Maserati GT with just a Ghibli nose and some internal upgrades as Maserati/Alfa is already behind with all the Alfa projects they keep promising. They think the SUV will save them, and it might. It is bland enough for the SUV crowd
If the Ghibli isn't saving Maserati by now, how in the world would they think an SUV will? They are both new entrants in a very competitive, saturated market and their differentiation just isn't THAT distinct! I wish Maserati all the best, but I fear their product line isn't going to give them the volume they want… or the cash-flow they need. Drop the SUV and bring on the uber-high-end halo product like the Alfieri. - Art
