Maserati will probably increase production and add a sports car to its lineup after advance sales at Fiat’s upscale Italian brand have almost tripled over last year’s deliveries, people familiar with the matter said. Maserati is getting 3,500 orders monthly which adds up to 42,000 cars this year, compared with the 15,400 sold in 2013.
Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne’s new business plan for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is likely to include a commitment to proceed with a high-end sports car based on the Alferi prototype that Maserati displayed at the Geneva auto show in March. The plan will be unveiled in May. Maserati could begin production of the Alfieri coupe within two years, shortly after the brand launches the Levante SUV in 2015. The Alfieri would be a rival to the Porsche 911 Turbo and the Jaguar F-Type.
