Maserati launches SUV to boost sales
May 23, 2016 Category Automotive, Weekly
Italy’s Maserati has launched its first sports utility vehicle (SUV) model in China to revitalize sales in a cooling luxury car market. The Levante will drive Maserati’s China sales to double-digit growth this year, said Mirko Bordiga, Managing Director of Maserati China. The Italian premium brand is targeting current Maserati owners and other affluent Chinese, he said. “Many of our customers have two cars in their garages and normally the other one is a SUV. We are targeting a new group of people who need a spacious SUV as a family car,” Bordiga told the South China Morning Post. Maserati launched the SUV model, priced at CNY999,800 at the Beijing auto show. “Last year, about 132,000 cars in the luxury SUV segment were sold in China, I think we can grab a few thousands from this market with the Levante,” Bordiga said. Maserati’s total sales last year fell 4.1% to 31,500 as demand weakened in its two largest markets, the U.S. and China, the brand’s owner Fiat Chrysler Automobiles said. The company tested the waters by selling its first 100 Levante cars on Chinese e-commerce store TMall in March. Bordiga said the cars sold out in 18 seconds, and 30% of the customers bought the nearly CNY1 million car on their mobile phones. Maserati’s new strategy is aimed at reaching customers in cities that the current dealership network does not cover. Sales of the Levante will begin at the end of July.
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