Maserati sales up 42% in H1 after significant push for new Grecale.
Maserati posted a 42% rise in sales in the first half of 2023, driven by the new Maserati Grecale, which launched earlier this year.
This push for the Porsche Macan-rivalling SUV, which in top-spec Trofeo form packs a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6, achieved total global deliveries of 15,300, up from 10,200 in the same period last year.
The new Maserati Granturismo, which joined the SUV this year, was another key factor in this growth, the brand said.
Pre-tax profits nearly doubled (95%), which the brand said was helped by higher net pricing.
“The Grecale has clearly been a driving force behind our growth, and it will be for the foreseeable future,” said CEO Davide Grasso, who added that the firm was expecting to see continued growth in the second half of the year.
“The latest fashion in cars comes and goes, but [people still see] Maserati as that true luxury brand,” he said. This is key in markets such as the UK, the US and China, he added.
Asked about exact sales figures, Grasso said the brand “didn’t want to fall into the volume trap” and that it was focused instead on growth from revenue.
That growth will be pushed further by the arrival of electric Grecale Folgore and Granturismo Falgore models later this year.
“This is a very critical stepping stone for our long-term growth,” he said. “It is something where we have all our hands on deck and all our eyes on the ball because it’s a very critical move.”
He added: “When we go electric, there is only one chance you have to make a good impression, and if that first impression is not good, you’re going to be hurting for the long term.
“It is the first time customers can experience what it means to drive electric cars which are Maserati. This makes me particularly happy.”
Also on the brand’s future, Grasso confirmed production of the current-generation Maserati Ghibli and Maserati Quattroporte will finish by the end of the year. As reported, electric successors to these cars have previously been mooted.
He added that track-only and exclusive cars will continue, but those cars “have to be meaningful” and “are not a way to increase revenues and extra margins” because this “actually takes away value”.