The Maserati brand received around 17,000 orders around the world in the first seven months of 2013 nearly triple the number of vehicles it sold in 2012 thanks to introduction of new models. According to Maserati brand chief executive Harald Wester, their best-selling offering in the period was the Quattroporte sedan. Fiat plans for Maserati to sell more units in order to succeed in its latest strategy to return to profit in 2016 in Europe. Wester remarked that while United States is still Maserati’s largest market globally, China has become a leading market for certain models such as the Quattroporte. Maserati made a EUR1.2-billion investment in new models to boost sales. Maserati rolled out the Quattroporte in January 2013. The entry-level Ghibli sedan, which carries a starting price of EUR66,000, also helped Maserati post strong orders in the first seven months of 2013. Maserati will roll out the Ghibli in September.
Maserati is targeting to hike its sales from 6,288 cars in 2012 to 50,000 in 2015, boosted by the Ghibli and by the up and coming Levante sports utility vehicle.
Fiat-Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne plans to sell more Maseratis and other high-end brands in expanding markets like the United States to trim its losses and avert job cuts as vehicle sales in Europe is still expected to drop this year. According to the most recent set of official figures from June 17, 2013, Maserati received 14,159 orders worldwide, 7,922 of which were for the Quattroporte and 2,249 were for the Ghibli.
