Maserati is in crisis mode. The Italian luxury brand sold just 7,900 vehicles globally in 2025 — down 30% from 11,300 in 2024 and the brand's lowest volume since 2012. Stellantis has ruled out a sale, instead installing Jean-Philippe Imparato as the new CEO with a clear mandate: turn it around. Two new electric models are in development, and a Stellantis investor day expected around May 21 should offer the first real roadmap.
A shrunken lineup with room to grow
Maserati's current US catalog is short: the Grecale SUV, the GranTurismo Folgore, the GranCabrio Folgore, and the track-focused MCPura. The Folgore EVs start at roughly $121,000 and climb past $200,000 — placing them squarely against Porsche Taycan and Mercedes-AMG EQ variants. None qualify for the federal $7,500 IRA tax credit (Section 30D), because the vehicles are assembled in Italy and almost certainly fail the battery-sourcing requirements tied to Foreign Entity of Concern (FEOC) rules.
The two new models are being described internally as "E-class" vehicles, but no segment, powertrain specs, EPA range estimates, or pricing have been released. Imparato has promised a detailed product roadmap — originally targeted for December 2024, now pushed to the upcoming investor day.
Huawei and JAC enter the picture
Reports from Chinese outlet Yunjian Insight, picked up by CnEVPost, say Stellantis is in talks with Huawei and JAC Motor to co-develop two electric vehicles. Under the reported structure, JAC would handle engineering and manufacturing, Huawei would supply the technology platform and electronics, and Maserati would contribute design and brand positioning. Mass production is reportedly targeted for the second half of 2027.
One model would sell in China under the Maextro brand — a premium label already linked to Huawei — while a second would carry the Maserati name for global markets. No contract has been signed as of late May 2026, and neither Stellantis, Huawei, nor JAC has confirmed the talks officially.
What it means for the US
The context makes the discussions unsurprising. Maserati's China sales collapsed from roughly 14,500 units in 2017 to around 1,000 in 2025, squeezed out by fast-moving local EV brands. A Chinese-engineered Maserati arriving stateside in 2027 would face a different kind of pressure: Section 301 tariffs on Chinese-made vehicles currently run as high as 100%, which would effectively price any China-built model out of the US market unless production is redirected.
For buyers eyeing the existing lineup, the Folgore models are available now. Whether Imparato's turnaround produces something genuinely new — or just a rebadged collaboration — should become clearer once Stellantis lays out its strategy publicly.
