MILAN -- Maserati will add a midsize SUV and an Alfieri sports car to its product lineup as part of its plan to double vehicle sales to 100,000 by 2022.
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' luxury unit is also targeting a profit margin of 15 percent by that date, up from 13.8 percent in 2017.
Maserati will also drop diesels and focus its powertrains on plug-in hybrids, Tim Kuniskis, the brand's head, said Friday at an FCA even to announce its new five-year business plan.
Maserati will launch 8 plug-in hybrids and four full-electric versions as it renews its product range by 2022, including replacements for the Levante SUV and Quattroporte sedan, and a refresh of the Ghibli sedan.
The Alfieri will be available in coupe and convertible forms. It will be a halo car for the brand, capturing years of Italian design, Kuniskis said. "A car like the Alfieri is vital for an aspirational brand like Maserati," Kuniskis said.
The car was first revealed at the 2014 Geneva auto show but has faced delays ever since.
The Alfieri will be based on a new aluminum space frame for lightness and agility. It will also have a fully modular chassis.
It will have full electric and plug-in hybrid versions. The fastest version will accelerate from 0-100 kph (62 mph) in less than two seconds and reach a maximum speed of more than 300 kph (186 mph). By comparison, Tesla’s Model S P100D in its fastest ‘Ludicrous’ mode manages that sprint in just over 2 seconds.
The full-electric Alfieri will be a Tesla challenger. "It may look like we are targeting Tesla: we are," Kuniskis said. “We are going to accomplish this by bringing to market something than no one in the industry can match.”
- Download PDF, above right, for Maserati's presentation to investors.
- Download PDF, above right, for Maserati's presentation to investors.
The new midsize SUV will be positioned below the Levante. It will have a best-in-class lightweight platform, 50/50 weight distribution, superior ride and handling and a best-in-class power-to-weight ratio, Kuniskis said.
The SUV will give Maserati a presence in a segment with the industry fastest growing segment, he said.
Kuniskis said electrified powertrains will become key for the premium market. "Customers will be looking to Maserati to be a leader in advance powertrain technology looking to us for alternative technologies, " he said.
Maserati's full-electric vehicles will have three-motor all-wheel drive with torque vectoring and 800-volt battery technology.
All vehicles will offer level 3 partial autonomy.
Maserati will expand its global dealership network to 600 by 2022 from 450 now.
Bloomberg contributed to this report
