Maserati aims for growth with varied lineup of EVs, hybrids and ICE

Peffer said Maserati’s sales last year and so far in 2023 are primarily utility vehicles. Early data shows that around 80 percent of Grecale sales are conquests.

The Grecale starts at $64,995 with shipping, a price point that may surprise some consumers. Houston Maserati dealer Steven Wolf said the brand’s image can make people assume its products are out of their reach, but the Grecale is more accessible.

“I think that there’s a lot of people that don’t know you can get a Maserati in the $60,000 range, and I think that’s something [where] the word needs to get out,” said Wolf, who held a private gathering at his dealership for prospective customers to check out the Grecale in September. “I think that would be a significant shot in the arm for us. We’re doing a TV campaign; we’re going to spend a lot of money talking about that. We have it on our electronic billboard, we put it on our email blast, and I think that drives traffic, at least an opportunity for someone to come check it out.”

Peffer said dealers have been pleased with the transformation of the Maserati lineup. The brand held a dealer meeting in Miami this month.

“They’re impressed with the cadence and amount of product and technology that we’re bringing out in a short period of time,” Peffer said. “Remember, this was a brand that launched sedans in 2012 and 2013, and then an SUV in 2016 as a 2017 model, and then we had what we refer to as a long, long walk of no brand-new product.

“The first all-new product from 2017 to current was the 2022 MC20 five years later.”

Randy Dye, who owns Maserati-Alfa Romeo of Daytona in Daytona Beach, Fla., said what the brand is and where it’s heading have never been clearer in his nearly 10 years as a Maserati dealer.

“The essence of this business is products,” Dye said. “It’s the reason that your heart starts pumping; it’s what gets you excited. We can have all kinds of strategy and discussions on how we’re going to market, what kind of cool commercials and all that stuff, but if you don’t have cool, fun, beautiful stuff, you don’t get considered.

“Yeah, they got stale, but they’re not stale now. They’re in the gym working out, and stuff is coming.”