Whither Maserati?
While we count down to the formal reveal of the Type 01 as the first product in the completely rebooted, throw-out-the-baby-with-the-bathwater Jaguar, another legendary automotive brand appears to be headed down a curious path.
A Chinese report suggests Maserati --which has been suffering under a series of strategic pivots, resulting in a somewhat fractured showroom with one SUV, one supercar, a coupe and a convertible--may now be saved by Chinese-engineered vehicles. While Stellantis' recent Investor Day indicated there would be a strategy update for Maserati revealed in December, they did indicate that two new E-segment vehicles were forthcoming. Most sources have suggested a four-passenger GT and midsize luxury SUV (potentially a Levante replacement) were on their way.
Now, it's been suggested that Huawei (the smartphone and software company) and JAC (who, together, have launched the surprisingly successful Maextro ultra luxury brand in China) are coming to the rescue. The aforementioned GT and SUV (both electric, not multi-energy) would be co-developed with Maserati, and would be sold as Maextro models in China and Maseratis elsewhere.
The report suggests that Maserati will own the design, and might even handle final assembly in Italy, so it's not simply a matter of badge-engineering--but it does raise questions of whether these cars will deliver a truly Maserati-appropriate driving experience. Unfortunately, the report also leaves North America off the list of potential markets, which could spell the end of the brand here.
Stellantis has not, of course, commented on the report, so we may not get the full story for another couple of months. Given Stellantis' current challenges and the state of the luxury market, this may not be the best possible solution but it might be the only one that works.
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