New Levante variants, petrol in the U.K.?

MrMickS

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3,951
The Levante stuff I expected. Its what the MD has been telling me for a while, and hinted at at the launch. Diesel for the moment, because that's what sells in volume in the UK. Most of the SUV market buy diesels. Its much easier to have a single model with trim variants at launch. Petrol to follow after 12 months or so dependent on the projections and demand.

On the GT. I don't know. Too much chopping and changing. That said Alfa were without anything bigger than the Giulietta for a while because of re-thinking of what they wanted to do. If Maserati are doing the same to deliver what is really wanted rather than just filling a gap in the line up then this is positive.

I don't think that the change in grouping in FCA has helped at all. Things seem to have flopped around for a few years whilst they worked out what is was they were. So now they have decided that they are a luxury car maker, rather than a sports car maker, I think there is hope. It is a real shame that the ball has been dropped on the GT though. Too much to re-tool with the new V8 engine?
 

Rwc13

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1,668
As I understand it, this isn't a UK Issue. It's a RHD issue. The global market for RHD petrol Levantes is predicted to be tiny, so Maserati are not going to invest in developing and building a RHD petrol version with little or at best unknown demand, when they believe they can sell every RHD diesel one they can produce for at least the next 12 months. So they will wait until initial high demand for the diesel in RHD markets has been sated before they look seriously at developing and building a RHD petrol version. Seems to make commercial sense to me even if I'd personally rather drive a petrol one. Any why wouldn't they keep their options open about whether petrol might mean V6, V8 or both.


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StuartW

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9,306
The RHD option of the Shamal would never have got off the ground in today's market. It was effectively a real bespoke car but surely they must have made a loss producing a car in such low numbers? Those days are surely gone now
 

allandwf

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10,958
In the past RHD meant moving the wheel and rack, and not much else, as little as they could get away with. It's not see easy these days.
 

Wack61

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8,764
they could go back to the days of a pod for the instruments, 5 minute job then :D
 

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conaero

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34,593
As I understand it, this isn't a UK Issue. It's a RHD issue. The global market for RHD petrol Levantes is predicted to be tiny, so Maserati are not going to invest in developing and building a RHD petrol version with little or at best unknown demand, when they believe they can sell every RHD diesel one they can produce for at least the next 12 months. So they will wait until initial high demand for the diesel in RHD markets has been sated before they look seriously at developing and building a RHD petrol version. Seems to make commercial sense to me even if I'd personally rather drive a petrol one. Any why wouldn't they keep their options open about whether petrol might mean V6, V8 or both.


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I don't believe that, if they are making RHD diesels what's the retooling to drop in a petrol?
 

MrMickS

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3,951
I don't believe that, if they are making RHD diesels what's the retooling to drop in a petrol?

I don't think its overly much, I think its primarily down to marketing and the diesel being an easier sell in the RHD markets. It is a shame that they haven't offered a petrol option at all, even if its build to order, as I don't see how they can gauge demand without it. With the fancy new production facilities they are using it should be trivial to drop a petrol engine in, especially as the rest of the power train is the same.
 

bigbob

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8,952
I don't believe that, if they are making RHD diesels what's the retooling to drop in a petrol?

I'm with you on this. However I'm most disappointed about the lack of coupes or convertibles for 3+ years. People get bored and move on - the world is a lot more competitive now and people are less brand loyal. I might pack mine up for the long term and buy something else in the product vacuum.
 

safrane

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16,747
Took an age for the brand to be re recognised as a sports car producer after the bi-turbo era...all that hard work gone to the wall.
 

Andyk

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61,038
So at this moment in time the only new Maserati you can buy has 4 doors. No Sports GT car in the range. When was the last time Maserati was Coupe less.
 

bigbob

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8,952
A while back! It's bad product planning and does nothing to help the brand. Also it means my car will be nine years old when the new coupe comes out which is longer than I normally wait...
 

Andyk

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61,038
You're right BB it just doesn't feel right....The GT stops production and is replaced with a 4x4....Maserati without a Sports type car isn't right.
 

keith

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624
The harshness of the Autocar review almost made it look at though they had fallen out with someone from Maserati GB! Auto Express spoke very highly in their test, and against the Cayenne it came pretty close.
To me that sums up the brand. Not quite as accomplished in a dynamic or engineering sense to the usual German rivals but I think still close enough, however far more special to look at, sit in, and in some ways drive than the bland ubiquitous competition. To say nothing of the image that the Maserati name still enjoys.
 

safrane

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16,747
Your right Andy.

No matter how good the saloons and 4x4s are they are not poster cars and never will be. Lets hope they do not turn into a version of Jaguar c1990s with a great sporting history but a lackluster range of cars utill a massive investment came there way from India.

Current range is now entering car supermarkets at low 30s and at times even less which hardly supports the brands image...in four years time ??? Lets hope there are no major reliability issues or it will be like the 80/90s again.