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Maserati rapidly expanding dealer network

With the new Quattroporte and Ghibli sedans out on the market, and the new Levante crossover and Alfieri coupe on their way, Maserati is making serious headway towards revitalizing its lineup. Now all it needs in order to reach its ambitious sales targets is to expand the network of dealers where they're to be sold. And according to Maserati chief Harald Wester in speaking to Automotive News at the Paris Motor Show, that's exactly what it has in store.
At the end of last year, Maserati had 79 dealerships across the United States. It has already boosted that number to 100 so far this year, but before 2014 is over, it plans to open another 20 to bring the total up to (carry the two, divide by the square-root of Pi)... 120 showrooms.
Globally speaking, Maserati reportedly closed 2012 with around 220-230 dealers around the world, and currently has about 355, but aims to close 2015 with a worldwide network of 450 dealers, representing a doubling of its network in two years' time. Having more than a quarter of those in the US alone is testament to how seriously Maserati takes the American market.

Maserati Ghibli GranLusso gets semi-autonomous tech and updated styling

Maserati's littlest sedan is getting a little bit of a makeover in the form a new GranLusso trim for the Ghibli. It will make its official debut at the Chengdu auto show in China, and it mostly consists of aesthetic updates. Up front, the GranLusso gets a grille that has chrome vertical bars in addition to the surround. They also appear thicker and more aggressive. The lower grille has been reshaped, with the outboard openings sweeping up and out, creating more of a smile shape. The headlights are less busy, with a very narrow LED accent strip, and square-shaped projectors. Along the side, the GranLusso gets some badges to tell everyone you got the newest fanciest Ghibli. At the back, the rear bumper has been ever so slightly reshaped at the base. Maserati claims the changes make the car more aerodynamically efficient, but don't give specifics, and frankly we can't imagine the improvement nearly enough to make any real difference to the way the car drives or performs. Styling tweaks aren't the only addition to the GranLusso though. The car will feature some type of semi-autonomous or autonomous driving technology. Again, no specific details were given. We reached out to Maserati for an explanation, and they wouldn't elaborate, saying that there should be more info when it makes its debut at the Chengdu show. No release window or pricing were given either. Related Video:

Limited woven-leather Maserati Quattroporte and Levante headed to Monterey

At the New York Auto Show, Maserati unveiled two luxury novelties. One was the carmaker's new One of One customization program with the tagline, "Anything is possible." The other was the new Pelletessuta woven leather interior developed in conjunction with Italian fashion house Ermenegildo Zegna. Calling it a first for the automotive industry, Maserati will offer the lightweight Napa fabric in 100 special-edition vehicles coming to North America next year. During Monterey Car Week, customers will get the opportunity to order one of the 50 custom editions of the 2020 model year Quattroporte S Q4 GranLusso, and 50 custom editions of the Levante S GranSport. It should be known that the standard GranLusso trim of the Quattroporte comes with a silk and leather interior by Zegna, so the Pelletessuta version is a cut above. The sedan wears custom Blu Sofisticato metallic paint over a dark brown Pelletessuta interior. The brake calipers are also dressed in blue, and a Zegna Edition badge adorns the cabin. Maserati hasn't mentioned pricing, but the regular sedan starts at $122,775, so that's there to start adding a premium. The Levante gets an exclusive Bronzo tri-coat outside over a Black Pelletessuta leather interior with custom Radica wood trim. Instead of the usual 20-inch wheels on, the limited edition gets 21-inch Helios rims hiding black brake calipers. The standard SUV starts at $94,475, we wouldn't be surprised if one of these 50 examples surpassed six figures before options. The Italian camaker says these configurations will not go on sale again.