Maserati lowers the price of its electric SUV in China to the level of a premium car: a historic drop in an attempt to save the market?

Just a month ago, Maserati surprised the United States by launching a spectacular rebate campaign, up to $50,000 on its electric models. This was already an alarming sign for a brand long protected by its aura of luxury. But what's happening today in China is even more startling: the electric SUV Grecale Folgore has just seen its price... literally pulverized.

From a catalog price of 898,800 yuan (approx. €109,000), the same model now starts at 358,800 yuan (approx. €43,500). The price of a premium car in Europe, for a Maserati-badged 100 % electric SUV. A vertiginous drop that raises questions.

Historic price cuts

At this low price, the Grecale Folgore has nothing to do with the ultra-luxurious product imagined by Maserati. The operation is not an isolated one: from Shanghai to Suzhou to Nanjing, several dealerships have simultaneously taken up the promotion. In some cases, entire stocks have been "purchased" by dealers, who are then free to set their own prices to ensure that the cars don't end up on their hands.

The model itself has not changed. It remains an electric SUV with 410 kW, 820 Nm and a range of over 530 km. But the brutality of the repositioning sends it straight into competition with the most aggressive Chinese brands on the market, such as Xiaomi, NIO, Li Auto, Wenjie and BYD. The badge with the trident suddenly finds itself at the same price level as manufacturers whose access to the market is based on software innovation and industrial competitiveness, much more than on historical prestige.

Sales in freefall, even in China

To understand such a shift, we need to look at the figures. Maserati is going through an extremely difficult period. In 2024, the brand delivered just 11,300 cars worldwide, down 57 % on 2023. And China, once a strategic market after the USA, recorded just 1,209 sales last year. In the first five months of 2025, only 384 units found buyers. The result is simple: inventories are filling up, dealers are suffocating, and massive discounts become the only way to save the end of the year.

A luxury brand facing an innovative Chinese market

The Chinese automotive market has never been so ruthless. Electrification and the explosion of on-board intelligence have reshuffled all the cards. The Chinese customer now compares a vehicle not according to its prestige or history, but according to its digital experience, its ability to be continuously updated, its real autonomy or the sophistication of its digital cockpit.

In this new reading, Maserati's traditional assets - design, coat of arms, hand-crafted finish, noble mechanics - lose some of their lustre. An electric car, especially in this price bracket, must be able to compete with the technological giants that the Chinese automakers have become. However, the Grecale Folgore is based on a 400 V platform, and struggles to keep up with the frenetic pace of local innovation. Even Porsche, over-equipped in terms of image and desirability, has had one bad quarter after another in China.

Temporary "Sauve-qui-peut"?

The decision to slash prices on the Grecale Folgore in China seems like a last desperate gesture. A final attempt to reconquer a market where the brand no longer carries much weight, but where it once built most of its growth. Can Maserati bounce back in a car market redefined by technology rather than heritage? The future product plan, scheduled for 2026, will have to provide a radical answer to this question.

In the meantime, the €43,500 electric Grecale will be remembered as one of the most violent signals of this crisis. Not only has Maserati agreed to give up its margins, it has also given up part of its aura. A choice that may seem tragic for a legendary brand... but probably necessary to avoid disappearing in a Chinese market that no longer expects anyone.