NEW DELHI: Luxury caremaker Maserati is bullish on the Indian market and is gearing up to launch around half a dozen new models that ranges from sports cars to SUVs. The carmaker is expected to launch its first super sports car- MC20 -in Q1 2022.
MC20 will be the first Maserati model to exploit the new in-house developed V6 engine – Nettuno. The 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 develops 630hp and 730Nm. Maserati claims that MC20 can reach 0-100kph in 2.9 seconds.
“Furthermore, there is the launch of Trofeo range of Levante & Quattroporte, which is a big focus for us in the Indian market. Armoured with one of the most powerful engines ever fitted in a Maserati, it is built around a V8 engine and the Levante is one of the fastest SUVs ever built, boasting a top speed of 304 km/h. India launch is expected in Q3 2021,” Bojan Jankulovski, Head of Operations, Maserati India, told The New Indian Express.
The marquee Italian brand is also expected to launch its Levante hybrid SUV in Q4 2021. The SUV combines 4-cylinder, 2-litre engine with a 48-volt hybrid system to recover energy during deceleration and braking.
What’s more exciting is that there is a new Maserati SUV on the card which is destined to play a key role for the brand. Then there is also the New GranTurismo and GranCabrio that will herald the full electrification era for Maserati. India launch of these three models is yet to be announced. Without sharing sales numbers, Jankulovski said there has been a sizeable surge in demand in India for Maserati in the first six months of 2021 and the company is expecting a very strong 2021 vis-a-vis 2020 & 2019.
“The growth in demand for super luxury cars can majorly be attributed to the expansion of the elite class in Tier II cities, beyond Mumbai and Delhi. Smaller cities like Mangalore, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Ahmedabad, Goa, among others, have shown an increase in demand for luxury vehicles. These emerging markets are driven by the evolved customer base coupled with higher disposable incomes. Due to this, Maserati is seeing a hike in demand in smaller cities,” said Jankulovski, adding that the company has robust plans to expand, but a concrete strategy will be finalised for the same in coming months.
Talking about the super luxury SUV segment that has seen launches from brands such as Lamborghini (Urus), Rolls-Royce (Cullinan) and Bentley (Bentayga), Jankulovski said that it is likely to pick up even further. For Maserati India, substantial sales come from Levante (priced Rs 1.50 cr) and 15% of these sales come from women buyers, added Jankulovski.