Maserati Returns to India
Italian carmaker Fiat Chrysler is set to starting selling luxury Maserati cars in India again nearly three years after troubles with its former partner in the country forced it to pull out temporarily.
«India is an important, strategic market for us even though it is not as big as it (could) be in terms of volume … so we want to be present directly here,» Umberto Cini, managing director for Maserati Middle East, India and Africa, told Reuters last week.
After three years, Italian luxury carmaker returns to India with a great ambition: a big push into Asia is key for the company to achieve its target of selling 75,000 Maseratis each year by 2018. Growth in luxury car sales in India has outpaced sales of other passenger vehicles over the last few years, but remains a fraction of overall car sales in the country.
This has prompted German carmakers including Volkswagen’s Audi, BMW and Daimler’s Mercedes-Benz to increase the level of local content in their cars to lower prices, widen their appeal and boost sales further.
Maserati, which sold 36,448 cars worldwide in 2014 – an increase of 137 percent over 2013 – is aiming for sales in the «two digits» in India during its first year, through dealerships in cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Bangalore, Cini said.
Maserati enters the market using the synergies of the Group and will operate out of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles India (FCAI). Three dealerships are planned to open in the major hubs of New Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore in the third quarter of 2015. AMP Supercars Pvt. Ltd., Bagga Luxury Motorcars LLP and Jubilant Autoworks Pvt. Ltd. will be representing Maserati in the respective areas. Dedicated Maserati service facilities, which are fully in line with Maserati global standards, are also planned for all locations. All showroom and service personnel will be trained by authorized Maserati Trainers.
