Stellantis blames dealers as Maserati sales plummet 60%

Carlos Tavares thinks Maserati’s positioning is unclear and “the way it tells stories is not right”

Maserati managed to sell approximately 20,600 vehicles in the first nine months of 2023. Fast forward to this year, and that number has plummeted to about 8,600 vehicles, according to the latest official figures from Stellantis. The drop was as high as 58.3%, ultimately causing Davide Grasso to lose his position as CEO. Now Stellantis boss Carlos Tavares blames Maserati’s marketing tactics and dealers’ insistence on discounted models for hurting the brand’s premium appeal.

This isn’t even the first time Tavares has taken aim at Maserati’s marketing woes. He made similar comments back in September. Of course, he hadn’t fired Grasso yet. Now, the company is working to “adjust costs” to stem the bleeding.

More: Stellantis third-quarter sales down 20%, revenue down 27%

Cost-cutting has become key to Stellantis Maserati’s recovery plan, a point highlighted during its latest quarterly earnings call. Stellantis reports that Maserati sales are down a staggering 60% compared to the third quarter of 2023.

“Maserati’s shipments are still down significantly year-on-year, but there are some important new products in 2024, especially electric versions of SUVs and luxury coupes,” the company said in a statement. “With three models in 2023 After discontinuing production at the end of the year, Maserati will significantly reduce its product portfolio in the short term, so the main focus will be on adjusting costs to return to profitability.”

According to Top Gear, Tavares still believes marketing is the big issue here. “Maserati is in the red. The reason is marketing,” he said. “Maserati’s brand positioning is unclear and neither should its storytelling. The brand is not just about sports cars; grand tourwhich is related to the quality of life, sweet life and technology. ”

Tavares also addressed Chinese dealers who want to sell cars at deep discounts: “We said, ‘We’re not here for you to ruin our brand.’ But if your marketing isn’t good enough and your The dealer thinks you need to sell at a lower price, and then you have a problem.”

Sadly for Stellantis, this is just one of many fires it’s trying to put out. The group’s third-quarter sales fell 20% across the board. The company is also suing a fifth supplier so far this year while suspending production of models such as the Durango and Grand Cherokee.