Even as Maserati brings Levante Hybrid and MC20 to India in 2022, its dealer expansion plans here are likely on hold.
When it comes to sports car brands in India, you’d be forgiven if Maserati was not foremost on your mind. The Italian marque has had a quiet stint here with just two dealers and, of course, its global models that are quite long in the tooth.
However, as we know, that’s all changing with the brand’s global rejuvenation that includes a flurry of all-new models as well as new tech like hybrids and all electrics. In India, the company had also planned to use the new range as a platform to expand its footprint. That, however, is likely to go slow or be on hold for now; but the new model launches, on the other hand, are definitely scheduled to arrive in India this year.
Network Expansion
At a recent media round table, responding to a question from Autocar India, Davide Kluzer, Maserati International Media Relations manager, said, “Maserati will remain a unique and exclusive brand and so the growth [in dealerships] will be limited.” This is quite understandable given that the COVID-19 pandemic and the chip shortage will no doubt be a limiting factor in getting cars allotted for India, thus ruling out a network expansion.
However, 2021 was a good year for Maserati, and while the company has not disclosed sales figures, it says its business through the current network is very stable and promising. The company also states that its customer base is very eager and loyal and, thus, while the network may not expand rapidly, there will be some action with new models arriving in India this year.
Levante Hybrid
The recently unveiled Levante Hybrid will be the first of the new cars to arrive. Maserati India has started accepting bookings for the SUV and the launch is scheduled for the second quarter of this year.
Power for the Levante Hybrid comes from a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine that’s assisted by a 48V Belt Starter Generator (BSG) hybrid system. The engine also features a turbocharger along with an electrically driven booster (e-booster). Maserati claims the Levante Hybrid has a top speed of over 240 kph and a 0-100 kph time of around 6 seconds, which it says is similar to 3.0-litre V6 petrol Levante that’s currently on sale in India.
MC20
Fans of the brand’s sports cars can also rejoice as Maserati has confirmed that its new flagship supercar, the MC20, will arrive in Q3 this year. The company had already gone public with its intent to bring the MC20 to India, but had so far not pencilled in a timeframe. Besides the fact that the MC20 is an all-new supercar coming after years, the highlight is also the fact that it is the brand’s first car in over 20 years to feature an in-house developed engine.
Grecale
The brand’s yet-to-be-released Grecale SUV is also on the cards for India, though thanks to the semiconductor shortage, the global launch was postponed from November last year to sometime early this year. Additionally, since LHD markets will start first and, for now, RHD markets are open, the India launch will slip further from what could have been this year. The Grecale will sit below the Levante SUV and will also have an all-electric version.
Are you excited about Maserati’s upcoming launches in India? Let us know in the comments below.
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