[Aditya]

Maserati has announced that it will be returning to India soon. The company is scheduled to hold a press conference on July 15, 2015.

According to reports the Italian manufacturer will launch the GranTurismo and the Quattroporte first. The GranTurismo is a 2-door sports coupe that is powered by with either a 4.2-litre or a 4.7-litre V8 petrol engines. The Quattorporte is a 4-door luxury sedan that is available with 3.0-litre V6 and 3.8-litre V8 petrol and 3.0-litre V6 diesel engines.



Maserati is also expected to bring the Ghibli sedan to India. Globally, the Ghibli is available with a choice of two engines - a 3.0-litre V6 petrol and a 3.0-litre V6 diesel. This car is expected to be a rival for the Mercedes-Benz CLS, Audi A7 and the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe.



Maserati's first dealership is likely to be opened in Mumbai and run by Ahmedabad-based Group Planet Petal.

This will be Maserati's second stint in India. The company used to have contracts with the Shreyans Group for the distribution of its cars in the country. The contract was terminated in 2012-13.

[Mtv]

About time!

Maserati has the potential to be a front runner in our luxury market as long as it doesn't give its cars outlandish prices.

I hope Alfa Romeo follows suit, the 4C is a work of art and would do well in India.

[Senna4Ever]

Top of the line Maserati Quattroporte GTS and a Maserati Ghibli (in Diesel guise) have been brought to India.
These cars will most likely be first used for display purposes at the upcoming conference. Absence of GranTurismo is confusing. Ghibli being prioritised for launch?

[RavenAvi]

Maserati has announced the prices of it's offerings for India.

Prices:

Maserati Ghibli (diesel) = INR 1.1 crores onwards,
Maserati Quattroporte (diesel) = INR 1.5 crores,
Maserati Quattroporte (GTS) = INR 2.2 crores,
Maserati GranTurismo = INR 1.8 crores,
Maserati GranCabrio = INR 2 crores.

All prices ex-Showroom, New Delhi.

In addition, Maserati will introduce it's SUV offering, the Levante, in 2016.

Maserati will operate out of FCAI (Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India), though it will establish new sales and service outlets.

In the third quarter of 2015, Maserati plans on opening showrooms in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. AMP Supercars Pvt. Ltd., Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will represent the brand in these cities respectively.

Maserati also announced that it will appoint Mr. Bojan Jankulovski as head of operations for India. Under his lead, the luxury and sports car maker has established itself in five markets in the Middle East and South East Asia. Umberto Maria Cini will be the Managing Director for Maserati Middle East, India and Africa.

IAB

[avira_tk]

The Ghibli is just about better in terms of performance than what the German trio offer in the A6,5 and E class. Maserati isn't worth the premium, their only claim to fame is the Ferrari engines, the 3 litre diesel is what you get in the E350(some slightly modified version). The CLS250 may be outclassed in performance but the 6 Gran Coupe and A7 surely are better cars than the Ghibli. I can't see any reason why anyone would spend 2.2 crores on a Maserati when there are better options available, more reliable ones at that without the media interface shared with Chrysler.

[desdemona]

@avira tk

If I may say so: how naive of you!

Maserati-s offer a further-surplus of exoticism and exclusivity and distinction over the German marques, which as we know are over-stretched from hatches to body-armoured limo-s. That's why.

Maserati-s have an 'authenticity' (old old storied small Italian brand with awesome 'pedigree') the Germans (esp Audi but also BMW) just don't.

It is very literal-minded to look at engine specs, and the gizmo-fest-count and then come to such conclusions.

Maseratis are everywhere placed well above the Germans, in price let alone exclusivity, even in the US, Japan, China, Middle East and Europe: they're the Italian GrandTouring/SportsLuxury equivalent of Bentley and RollsRoyce and high-end Range Rovers, mefeels.

Maserati has grown 4 or 5X over the last 2-3 years, since the new Ghibli and Quattroporte were launched, and are up 9% this year so far too.

The new, plutocrat-producing global economy loves such marques, and India like China (where Maserati-s are especially popular it seems among filthy rich single women it seems!) is not and will not be short of its (old, juvenile and newborn) plutocrats either, as we here in Dilli-gurgaon can verily attest.

[SS8939]

@desdemona

I can see where you're going with the exclusivity thing, I really do. I mean, how cool would it be to tell every that you drive a freaking Maserati instead of a boring old Audi or Merc which everyone seems to own now.

But the thing is, globally, this car competes with the 5 series, XF etc. If it were the same case in India, I could understand. But here with a price of 1.1 crores, it competes with the S Class, 6 series, M4 etc. These cars are certainly just as exclusive as the Ghibli.

So yeah, 1.1 C for a car that competes with the 5? I'll pass. :P

[amit]

Prices seem too high for Maserati to do decent sales here. Like someone said, it's more of a 5 series segment car getting ready to sell in S class territory.

I have been watching some foreign media reviews online and all of them have said the rear space is extremely tight. CNET's Brian Cooley said he couldn't get into the rear seat with the front seat positioned for his body type! And while this isn't going to apply to India, the interiors share a lot with the Dodge Dart!

CNET Brian Cooley reviews the Ghibli.

[jayguar]

Isn't the Ghibli competing with M5 and E63 AMG?

[21Archer84]

Could sound funny and offensive, but I thought we BHPians were matured in thinking and realise on what we comment here. Isn't it true that there's about 120% tax duty when a vehicle's being imported to India? When most cars referred above are either localised partially or are assembled as CKDs to cut down on costs, Maserati is bringing their cars as CBUs, atleast for now. So I assume it to be very obvious for the prices to be high. Can a Sr. BHPian throw some light on what the prices of the same cars from BMW, Merc or Audi mentioned above were priced when imported?

And on the brand's reputation and exclusivity I remember reading a recent article which mentioned Marchionne saying that Maserati will be the next Ferrari for FCA. Correct me If I'm rude and wrong.

[avira_tk]

Originally Posted by desdemona

@avira tk

If I may say so: how naive of you!

Maserati-s offer a further-surplus of exoticism and exclusivity and distinction over the German marques, which as we know are over-stretched from hatches to body-armoured limo-s. That's why.
...
The new, plutocrat-producing global economy loves such marques, and India like China (where Maserati-s are especially popular it seems among filthy rich single women it seems!) is not and will not be short of its (old, juvenile and newborn) plutocrats either, as we here in Dilli-gurgaon can verily attest.

Maserati is small the same way the British car industry achieved it, they managed to remain the Fiat equivalent among the luxury brands.Maserati isn't trying to be a hand made exclusive cottage operation, the Ghibli, Quattroporte and Levant are trying to achieve the sales numbers required to make the brand sustainable and not a subsidised luxury operation of the nearly broke FCA.

Maserati is priced above the Germans when you consider starting prices, otherwise they are just about more expensive by a slight margin. The 5x growth is the low base effect from 1500 cars to 5000 cars in the US for a market share of .04%. The Ghibli is the beginning of making the cars more mass market, its only a matter of time a 3 series equivalent comes out.

The brand has the advantage of starting on a clean slate in Asia and pretending to be an every day use Ferrari, so it might work, with these prices I doubt it will.

[desdemona]

There is no attempt to take the cars 'mass market' which you self-refutingly imply is where the 3- and 5-series sit. Next up is the Levante, a high powered sports SUV with these very styling cues, and after that the Alfieri coupe. They're competing against Porsche and Bentley, not Mercedes let alone Audi or BMW.

They are a very profitable wing of FCA, margins of 9-10%, i believe, and are selling at the rate of 30-35K already, without the Levante and the Alfieri yet. As i said: 4/5X growth, over just 2 odd years. Classic 'niche-premium' brand characteristics, now being milked rather profitably by the much-bigger, financially stronger FCA (ex-Fiat Spa). Up 9% so far this year, in sales.

FCA itself is far from 'broke': their profits are at 1 billion $ +, annualized, and they're growing fast, picking up marketshare in the US esp Jeep globally including China, Maserati, and the American brands in N America. They're picking up marketshare fast in Europe too, now that the recession there is over (for now). Even the 'Fiat' brand is, with just the few 500-series of models.

Admittedly, due to the costs of the Chrysler acquisition, new investments in the brands and factories and new models, their margins are sub-par, at only 3 odd %, but they too are rising especially in North America. They're the world's 7th biggest car company, and have just outsold both GM and Ford in America, (the top 2 firms there overall) among private, retail buyers, for the first time in the history of the US car market.

Maserati-s are distinctive to the Germans, and that's why they sell (the Germans will be battled-with by the new Alfa Romeo-s, mainly, not Maserati).

The souped up engines, the tuned, loud exhaust notes, the taut handling, the hydraulic steering, and the 'Italian suit' styling in the interiors, and just their styling throughout their entire history as a brand. But especially, just the fact that they're Italian, i.e., not German, not common, not cold/banal but instead something like 'authentic' and 'original' and 'exotic'.

'Effortlessly sexy'?

Like all 'luxury' and/or 'sports' cars in India, or anywhere else outside of the EuroAmerica, they're ridiculously priced: import duties and the depreciated rupee.

But if, as they say they are, all they're targetting are high 2-digit sales at 1-2 crores each, out of 3-6 dealerships, they'll do just fine here. Plutocrats and their children are aplenty these days, not all of them automotive rasiks or global cosmopolitans either!

[Senna4Ever]

First batch of Maseratis are here, as per Zauba.

6 Ghibli Diesel
5 Quattroporte Diesel
1 GranTurismo
2 GranTurismo Sport (4.7L instead of 4.2L)
2 GranCabrio

[nakul0888]

If that 1.1 crore ex showroom price for the Ghibli is really true, then ladies and gentlemen we have the new benchmark for rip off on our hands right here. I mean the ghibli diesel and the 530d M sport are direct rivals. There is no overlap of segments here what so ever.
But the 530d is priced at 61. lakhs and the Ghibli is priced at 1.10 crore?

Make no mistake the Maserati is the better badge here by a fair margin but they do have to have the car to back that 1.10 crore price tag. In most of the reviews online the BMW comes out as a clear winner and this is when they are priced neck and neck. In our case it becomes a no brainer which to buy as the ghibli is priced 80% more than the BMW.

All this time we thought the German were ripping us off, but now the Italians have come to shown us that they are even better at it.

Here is a jalopnik guy's take on the ghibli. its worth a read

http://jalopnik.com/the-maserati-ghi...lux-1714664806

[avira_tk]

@nakul0888

Thanks for that interesting link, it basically tears into the PR crap that most of the press have been repeating without bothering to review the car that is trying desperately to be a mainstream luxury choice. The Indian reviewer mentioned that the fit and finish wasn't that great, translation, its absolute rubbish.

Sniffpetrol summed it up nicely- Germans are reliable and they lack what Italian cars have -disappointmentness.