Stellantis needs to take urgent action to get Maserati back on track. Sales have fallen 57 percent in the past year to just 11.300 new registrations.
The parent company of the triangle has denied reports that it plans to sell the Modena-based brand. It also has no intention of liquidating the traditional luxury brand. So what is the plan? Apparently, they want to help Maserati from within by accelerating cooperation with another iconic manufacturer located just 260 kilometers away.
Alfa Romeo, also struggling, is set to merge with Maserati. Santo Ficili, the CEO of both brands, says a plan has been drawn up for the purpose, but it still needs to be approved by Stellatnis' new management team. Antonio Filosa, the new CEO of the car conglomerate, will meet with representatives of the two Italian brands on June 23 to finalize the details.
Ficili told Australian magazine Drive that Alfa Romeo and Maserati will work together to develop new cars. However, a merger is not on the agenda. The CEO explained that the brands have different positions within Stellantis. Alfa is a “premium” brand, while Maserati is a “luxury” brand. However, the companies are expected to join forces in other areas to reduce costs and “seek synergies where possible”.
“Of course we influence [vehicle] development. This is one of the pillars of this plan that we will complete. We also influence other areas… this means the organizational structure, this means our [sales] network and… we consider our factories here in Italy. There is a lot of work. We will complete this plan.”
Regarding Maserati's problems, former Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares explained months ago that the products were fine, but poor marketing had led to a vague brand positioning. Of course, constantly canceling or repositioning products doesn't help either. For example, the all-electric MC20 was discontinued after the company realized that wealthy customers still preferred internal combustion engines. The next Quattroporte, which will also replace the Ghibli, has been pushed back to 2028.
Alfa Romeo is facing similar challenges. The start of production of the next generation of the Stelvio and Giulia models has been significantly delayed. Originally, both mid-size cars were planned as purely electric vehicles, but due to dramatic changes in the market, both models will also receive internal combustion engine versions. Of course, this takes time. Like many other car manufacturers, Alfa recently abandoned its strategy of exclusively producing electric vehicles.
