The future of Maserati has been a bit up in the air, and not just because of rumors that Stellantis wanted to sell it. Rather, it’s because nobody really knows who Maserati vehicles are for. I argued with Dave McQuilling a while back about this, explaining that the average American can’t afford a Maserati, and that those who can probably just buy supercars instead.
However, Stellantis has a plan (despite picking its favorite four brands earlier this year). After Maserati saw a 30% decline in sales from 2024 to 2025, Stellantis wants to “strengthen the future” of the Italian automaker. This includes two new electric vehicles that align with its new focus as a pure luxury brand.
Stellantis keeps slipping up, and Maserati is paying the price
The Maserati lineup isn’t very large, which is probably part of the reason the sales were so unimpressive. Right now, Maserati only has the Grecale, GranTurismo, and McPura. The Grecale is an entry-level model starting at $85,000, while the McPura starts at $250,000. It’s not exactly the most affordable lineup, which means Maserati should appeal to wealthier clientele. But it’s not right now.
The low sales are due to many factors beyond what I could ever summarize in this article. But the high costs are clearly one reason. For anyone looking to spend $100,000 on a car, they are likely to be looking at Porsche, BMW, or Mercedes-Benz… All of these brands offer better performance for similar prices (sometimes even less). Maserati just doesn’t carry the same prestige, due to the brand’s historically rapid depreciation, reputation for expensive maintenance, questionable build quality, and Stellantis’ discounted pricing. With a brand this niche, turning electric is also unhelpful. It can often be seen as selling out.
Will these two new models help or hurt? Well, we currently don’t know much about these vehicles. And we probably won’t until December 2026. There are talks that claim Stellantis is working with Chinese brands like Huawei and Anhui Jianghuai Automobile to develop these new vehicles. This would give them advanced Chinese tech. But Maserati will still oversee the design and branding side.
This collaboration could expand Maserati’s reach, making these vehicles more appealing to markets worldwide. But will it further diminish Maserati’s prestige? It’s possible. Stellantis hasn’t been the best at managing a luxury brand so far. McQuilling recently received staged spy shots of Maserati’s current lineup. They were shaky and blurry images, which I guess was an attempt to make them feel authentic. But all it did was make us feel like the hype is just not there. Like it has to be curated.
Stellantis clearly doesn’t know the meaning of the term “prestige.” Maserati can’t compete with other luxury brands if it feels tacky, forced, and uninspired. Desperate sales, Chinese production, and fake spy photos don’t really give us any confidence in the Maserati rebrand. And if these vehicles are electric — which is expected — it takes the excitement away even more.
Expect more staged spy shots, I’d say, because nobody is snooping around in hopes of catching a glimpse of an electric Maserati.
