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Maserati Production Paused for a Week Next Month as Popularity of Cheap Ghibli Fades

Maserati definitely made a good move to launch a cheaper model in the shape of the Ghibli but as it turns out, the niche they were trying to take over has already been saturated. At least that’s what recent info coming in from Italy suggests.
Maserati Ghibli 1 photo
Photo: Maserati
According to Bloomberg, Maserati will have to pause the production at their facility in Northern Italy for a week next month due to low demand. That’s not restricted to the Ghibli model either but to all of their cars currently in production.

The break will take place during the first week of November according to Italian union Fismic and it seems like nearly 2,000 employees will be ‘enjoying’ temporary furloughs after the same thing happened in September as well. As expected, the FCA-owned company declined to comment which only goes to confirm the claims made by the union.

While it may seem like nothing at the moment, this course of action might reveal some uncomfortable truths about the future of the brand. Under Sergio Marchionne’s leadership, Maserati is being used to offset the drops and losses recorded by Ferrari and that isn’t working out as it is supposed to.

Furthermore, the Italians are looking to expand their line-up even further with a wider range of models of which the first one to be unveiled next is the Levante SUV. While that car is still in development, the flop recorded by the Ghibli might shine a bright light on the outcome of this endeavor.

Prices for the Levante are expected to be over $100,000 while the Ghibli starts at $70,600. If the cheaper alternative couldn’t cut it, it’s hard to see how the new model could. There’s a catch, though.

The SUV segment is going through one of the best periods since it was invented, especially in luxury trim. Most companies are working extra time to bring out as many crossovers and tall-riding models as possible just because at the moment we’re experiencing a boom in demand in these areas.

The Levante could very well ride the same wave, but they need to hurry up with the development and when that happens, the tendency is to bring out unfinished products that will, eventually, turn out to be flops.

It’s the case of the Alfa Romeo Giulia too if you will. Various sources inside OEM suppliers claim that the car has been rushed through development and not tested properly by the FCA. The end result? It seems like there are a lot of reliability problems hitting the sedan early on, something Alfa Romeo is known for.

However, we’re discussing different manufacturers here and while a Giulia might cost in excess of $50,000 it will never rise to the same price tag the Levante is expected to have. That being said, rushing through the development stage doesn’t seem like a good idea.

Returning to the Ghibli, the sudden rise in demand that hit Maserati when it was launched was a bubble that has since popped and is now showing its downside. Deliveries of the sedan dropped by 13 percent during the second quarter of the year, mostly due to Chinese customers that were scared of the recent crisis on the stock market, and paused from big purchases for a moment. Hopefully, things will get back on track, but prospects don’t look so good right now.
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