Italian carmaker Maserati rides on new SUV Levante to rev up sales in India

The real challenge, however, for a brand like Maserati in India is that it is yet to embark on a substantial image-building campaign, which is different from just marketing and advertising

What
happens when an exotic Italian sportscar brand, almost a hundred years old, launches an SUV? It is either a hit or a miss. But for Maserati’s Indian operations, the new Levante is boosting the brand, at least in the short term. In the last four months, Maserati sold 20 Levantes priced between Rs 15 million and Rs 18 million. The company has received bookings for another dozen for March.

The numbers are strong when compared to similar brands like Ferrari, which sold just about 25 cars last year. Going ahead, the new SUV could well account for at least half