Two years ago people wouldn't have thought Maserati would be missing its goals for the future, delaying future models, and halting production. Let's take a look at how we got from sunny days two years ago to the current situation today.

Back in 2013, Maserati set some lofty goals for itself. By 2015 the brand wanted to increase sales to 50,000 worldwide, and by 2018 Maserati aimed to increase sales to 75,000 worldwide. Those ambitious goals were built on the success of the Ghibli sedan, which came out of the gate strong. The Levante (yet to be released) was also a part of Maserati's vision of future success.



Unfortunately for Maserati, things didn't pan out so well. The Ghibli started out strong, but has since declined in sales. The Ghibli sits in a niche segment. That makes it so that there is a sales surge when the vehicle first comes out, but as time goes on, everyone who wants one has one. The customer base for the segment is not very deep. In addition to the Ghibli sitting in a niche segment, Maserati just doesn't have the same infrastructure and marketing power as its German rivals.

Both China and North America showed weakness for the brand. China has has a general slowing down of its economy, and North America simply didn't buy quite as many Maseratis as the brand had hoped. Operating profit for Maserati declined 87% to 12 million euros in the third quarter. Deliveries also declined by 22%.

So now Maserati is focusing on the Levante. The thought is that the Levante will be playing to a hot segment, and SUVs also have the potential for more sustainable sales over the long run to create a foundation for the brand (think Porsche and the Cayenne.)

They might need to go with a smaller sedan that sits under the Ghibli, it's something i'd like to see and its a good strategy for them.

Well I think that the Levante is a good first priority. I'm not sure if an even smaller sedan is the right thing to appeal to the Maserati customer. I think they may have better luck looking upmarket instead. Building some kind of halo car that is competing more on a super car level. Might compete with the i8, Mercedes-AMG GT, things like that.

From OP's post, seems like Maserati failed because they didn't come out with new models to take the place of the Ghibli. Something new that people doesn't already have.

The Ghibli is quite new. I don't think that is the problem. The Ghibli was a success, it just couldn't get sustained sales, which I think is more the brand's fault. They need to find models that can deliver sales consistently.

It's about impact in the industry with the right product and marketing to let it be known.

I haven't seen enough of both, marketing has seemed to dead.

Didn't they do an ad for the last Superbowl?

It doesn't seem to be from a lack of commercials. The superbowl one was very well made and here's another one for the ghibli.

Maybe they need to hit a wider range of customers or have a larger profit margin for each model sold.

But how would you go about expanding the customer range while still staying true to the brand? I think that the Levante should expand the customer base. It is more practical than any of their other cars. Not sure if they should really look to make a model that is further down market or something like that though.

the reason is saint sergio!!