Adelaide Maserati opens for business

AFTER an exhaustive two-year selection process and construction of its latest showroom, South Australian dealer chain Solitaire Automotive Group has thrown open the doors of its dedicated Maserati showroom, welcoming the brand back to Adelaide.

With a surge in demand for the Italian luxury car-maker, Maserati is increasing its presence around the country, and the Adelaide dealership marks the latest step in the company's efforts to boost sales nationwide.

Local sales grew by an unprecedented 200 per cent in 2014 following Maserati's parent company Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) announcing its plan to grow sales to 75,000 globally with 1500 of those coming from Australia.

Maserati Australia and New Zealand general manager Glen Sealey said the new dealership was a significant step in the brand's growth both globally and locally.

“The six-fold growth in Maserati sales worldwide over the past three years has been driven not just by the arrival of all-new products such as the Maserati Ghibli and Quattroporte, but also by the appointment around the world of new Maserati dealers who are ensuring that these new clients enjoy same levels of exclusive customer service that has long been the hallmark of Maserati,” he said.

The Solitaire Group, which also sells Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, Jaguar, Land Rover, Skoda, Volkswagen and Volvo in the Adelaide area, had previously won the rights to distribute Maserati, but until now had been operating from a multi-brand showroom.

The latest South Australian dealership follows the opening of refurbished facilities in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney, but despite Maserati's plans to increase its local presence, the downturn in mining has had a marked effect in Western Australia.

Maserati has not confirmed which areas are being considered for the next dealer expansion, but has not ruled out the Gold Coast region.

Interest in the trident brand is expected to continue growing with a luxurious Levante SUV on the way to do battle with Porsche's Cayenne, while the Alfieri sports coupe will bump gloves with Mercedes' AMG GT when it arrives in 2016.