Maserati Hits Pause on Brand Relaunch; You Know Why

Maserati has mulled plans to totally revamp the brand since 2018. In September of last year, the company decided it was finally ready to make its move, boldly announcing that it had entered into “a phase of intense and vital change, with a series of activities to totally revamp the product range and re-launch the Maserati brand.” Those improvements wouldn’t show up in earnest until 2020.

The gist of the plan involves widespread electrification aimed at improving overall performance, plenty of new product coming down the chute, and the promise that all future Maseratis will be manufactured in Italy. That’s right, the country that looks like a shoe and has given us automotive gems like the Pagani Zonda, Alfa Romeo MiTo, and legendary Fiat Multipla. Alright, so maybe the vow of continued Italian production is a double-edged sword, but the brand does seem legitimately interested in righting the ship. Italy conjures up visions of spirited driving and gorgeous roads, and it’s not like Maserati can disassociate itself from the country — that’s part of its identity and appeal.

The marque will have to delay its plans, however. These days, Italy is synonymous with viral outbreaks, not vistas, forcing the brand to postpone its big re-launch.

Originally planned for May 2020, “MMXX: The Way Forward” (Maserati’s coming out party) has been postponed until September. While the event’s address in Modena basically guaranteed the delay, we sincerely doubt the manufacturer would have stuck to the original timeline were it held elsewhere. Sadly, this means we won’t be seeing the mid-engined MC20 (which looks to herald the brand’s return to the racing scene) for some time.

Not a lot is known about the vehicle other than its component-sharing relationship with Alfa Romeo’s 4C and as much performance on tap as Fiat Chrysler Automobiles can carve out. Since Maserati said the motor would be the “forefather of a new family of engines,” we expect a powerful hybrid system. Other outlets suggest the cars would come equipped with turbocharged V8s or naturally aspirated V6s.

With FCA announcing Maserati’s suspension of European production, it seems likely that the model’s debut will also be pushed back. It may even have to change its name. MC20 supposedly stands for “Maserati Corse 2020” — indicating the vehicle’s production year and focus upon racing. FCA already had it coming out at the tail end of the year (along with the refreshed Ghibli sedan), so a major setback could easily take it into 2021. If that’s to be case, we can’t chide the brand for not wanting to display it a year early, over the internet, to a bunch of people in the grips of cabin fever.

[Images: Maserati]