Maserati Ghibli pulls knife from Audi, BMW and Mercedes
- Ключевые слова: Maserati Ghibli pulls knife from Audi, BMW and Mer
- Автор: serg
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- Добавлено: 28 августа 2023
Months separate us from the market debut of the new Maserati Ghibli, which will try to steal some BMW 5-Series, Mercedes E-Class and Audi A6 customers, especially in America, writes Bloomberg.
On the other side of the Atlantic, the brand's base model will draw on its Italian charm and engines built by the Ferrari subsidiary, everything German opponents can't boast of.
“We need to steal German customers,” said Benedetto Orvietani, head of product development at Maserati. "We're targeting their most capricious fans - those who are bored with their Audi A6 and want to stand out."
The Ghibli name first appeared in the Maserati lineup in the 60s. It comes from Arabic and means hot wind from the Sahara desert. The new model is extremely important for the company, which is working to achieve its main goal - to increase sales to 50,000 units per year by 2015. Such a number is a toy for three German companies, each of which sells more than a million cars a year. However, it should be borne in mind that Maserati is a purely fashion brand that does not have more massive and cheaper models.
"We won't be far from the truth if we call our plan the 'Maserati revolution,'" said Harald Wester, a German engineer whose career spanned Volkswagen and Audi before taking over at Fiat in 2004. companies are losing their limited ability to offer their customers something truly great.
Aside from its sporty character, the Maserati Ghibli relies heavily on modern headlights, a low-profile front end and muscular rear fenders. The basic version of the model is equipped with a 330 hp Ferrari V6 engine. Luxury in the interior is guaranteed by high-quality leather upholstery, accentuated by the details of the Italian furniture manufacturer Poltrona Frau SpA., which recently celebrated its 101st birthday.
The bad thing in this case is that in America Ghibli is 20% more expensive than the target cars. Prices start at $65,600, with the top-end Ghibli S Q4 priced at a whopping $75,700. For their money, buyers get 410 hp, dual drive and a top speed of 284 km / h. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h takes 4.8 seconds. The result is better than the Mercedes E550, which has 402 hp but costs a much more modest $61,400.
“I believe in Maserati's strategy,” said Sanford C. Bernstein analyst Max Warburton. “Their plan is very ambitious, but there is a niche in the market for a luxury sedan with a different look. If they maintain high quality and continue to develop their dealer network, Maserati will certainly achieve their goals in America,” he added.
The Ghibli is part of Maserati's overall plan to expand into overseas markets. Other mainstream models are the flagship Quattroporte, which was re-released earlier this year, and the Levante crossover, which we expect in 2015. Fiat is investing around 1.2 billion euros to revolutionize Maserati. As a result, 200 new workers were hired at Ferrari's Maranello plant to keep the flow of engines running at Maserati.
Maserati was founded in 1914 and became part of the Fiat concern in 1993. Last year, the company managed to sell about 6,000 vehicles, and in 2013 it hopes to reach 20,000 sales. According to forecasts, this year the company will increase operating profit from 12% to 47 million euros. The Italians hope to sell 20,000 Ghibli units a year, which is 40% of their total 2015 expectations.
