Of all the cars that Maserati could have provided former professional footballer David Beckham for the following promotional clip, the House of the Trident chose the Levante. In other words, the automaker’s least engaging model has been chosen for a series of donuts with DB7.
Maserati urges the viewer to “accept no boundaries” according to the video’s description, which is a curious thing to say if you analyze the marque’s recent history. For starters, the Ghibli Hybrid utilizes the same four-cylinder turbo of the Jeep Wrangler, Cherokee, Alfa Romeo Giulia, and the Stelvio.
But more importantly, Maserati fails to highlight how many parts from the Fiat Chrysler parts bin are used in the Ghibli sedan, Levante utility vehicle, and Quattroporte flagship. Even the MC20 fails to “accept no boundaries” over the six-cylinder engine, not a proper V8, a high-revving V10, or a screaming V12 as Ferrari utilizes in the 812 series and limited-run Monza.
Maserati sales fell dramatically last year, and the company failed to post the 15-percent profit margin set by Fiat Chrysler’s high-ranking executives. Given these worrying results, chief executive Mike Manley announced in September 2020 that Maserati won't join Ferrari on the stock market anytime soon.
Care to guess how Manley and co. will turn around the ailing manufacturer? In the first instance, the Grecale sport utility vehicle will join the Levante with a sub-Levante price point because it’s based on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. In the mid-term future, the entire lineup will embrace electric cars.
According to the automaker’s most recent product plan, upcoming EVs will feature “traditional Maserati driving dynamics and performance, unique driving modes, extended range, and ultra-fast charging capabilities.” Also worthy of your attention, the House of the Trident will roll out Level 3 autonomous driving capabilities by the end of the 2023 calendar year, when the second generation of the Levante is scheduled to be unveiled as well.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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