Maserati: A Chinese partner was expected; Stellantis is reportedly also in talks with BMW

While we are still waiting to find out exactly what the future holds for the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, it turns out that Maserati who finds himself in the spotlight. And for good reason: recent statements by the CEO of Stellantis, Antonio Filosa, have paved the way for a scenario that few people could have imagined just a few weeks ago.

During his hearing before the Italian Parliament, the leader confirmed that Stellantis was in talks with two industrial partners regarding Maserati's future.

«We are in talks with two major partners who can provide us with technology, development resources, and excellent ideas.»

Before clarifying:

«Maserati is not for sale, Cassino is not for sale.»

He went on to add that partnerships could be established both in Cassino and at other plants within the group, similar to those already in place with Leapmotor in Spain and Dongfeng in France. At that point, everyone naturally turned their attention to China.

So far, all clues have pointed to China

For several months now, there have been rumors of talks between Stellantis and Chinese companies such as JAC Motors and Huawei. In fact, we had wrote an article about this hypothesis a few weeks ago. On paper, the idea wasn’t entirely absurd. Chinese automakers now have a significant technological edge in several areas related to electric vehicles, onboard software, and electronic architectures. The idea of Maserati collaborating with a Chinese partner to develop certain future models might have seemed logical. Especially since the Trident brand is going through a particularly difficult period and must urgently prepare its next generation of vehicles.

But information received in recent days could completely change our understanding of the case.

According to a source at Italpassion, the second partner is reportedly BMW

We hesitated before publishing this information because it seemed so surprising to us. However, a reliable source at Italpassion—who has provided us with several pieces of information in the past that turned out to be accurate—has told us that the second automaker with which Stellantis is currently in talks is… BMW. Yes, BMW.

We would like to emphasize one key point: this is unofficial information and not an official announcement. We have received no public confirmation from Stellantis, Maserati, or BMW. If this information turns out to be inaccurate, we apologize in advance. We prefer to issue this disclaimer because some unofficial information tends to quickly become treated as official news on social media…

But if this information is accurate, then BMW’s entry into the picture suddenly opens up very different possibilities. Until now, speculation had mainly linked Maserati to Chinese partners.

A partnership that would also involve Alfa Romeo

This is the second key point in this report. For several months now, Stellantis has been reiterating its intention to strengthen the synergies between Alfa Romeo and Maserati. The next-generation Maserati Quattroporte and Levante are to be developed in parallel with the next-generation Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, in different segments (D for Alfa Romeo and E for Maserati), with production planned for Cassino.

In other words, if Maserati ultimately has to rely on an external industrial partner to develop its future models, it seems hard to imagine that the next-generation Giulia and Stelvio would remain completely outside the project… since these models have no other platforms to draw upon within the Stellantis ecosystem in Europe.

According to our source, Alfa Romeo has apparently still not finalized its technical decisions regarding its future D-segment models—specifically, the replacements for the Giulia and Stelvio. This information aligns perfectly with the many questions that have surrounded these two vehicles for several months now. As a reminder, a prototype of the future Stelvio has indeed have already been spotted in early 2025, but since Stellantis changed its strategy regarding all-electric vehicles, the Giulia and Stelvio projects appear to have been thoroughly reevaluated.

Platforms, engines, technologies: everything remains to be defined

At this point, we have absolutely no idea what form a potential partnership with BMW might take. Would it involve platforms? Internal combustion engines? Hybrid technologies? Electric technologies? Or a combination of several elements?

It’s impossible to know for sure at this point. But it’s hard not to notice that BMW currently has a significant lead in certain strategic areas. The new BMW i3 and iX3, built on the new-generation Neue Klasse platform, are setting new standards in the automotive industry. In the luxury segment, the German automaker also has unique experience in simultaneously managing a global premium brand and a luxury brand with Rolls-Royce.

Seen from this perspective, an alliance between BMW and Alfa Romeo, and between Rolls-Royce and Maserati, doesn't seem quite as unlikely as it might at first glance.

The uncertainty surrounding Cassino and Termoli is becoming clearer

This hypothesis could also help explain several unresolved issues currently surrounding the Italian automotive industry.

In Cassino, where the next-generation Maserati Quattroporte and Levante, as well as the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio, are set to be produced, employees are still waiting for concrete information about the future models. Announcements have been limited to a new Maserati Grecale in 2027, but there is no specific timeline for the other models.

The same is true at the Termoli plant. While the future of the eDCT transmission and certain GSE engines seems relatively clear, the outlook for the GME engines currently used in the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio remains particularly unclear. It is as if several major decisions have yet to be made.

The explanation could be simple: it all depends on the future industrial partner chosen by Stellantis.

Stellantis is expanding its partnerships

Ultimately, this news is part of a broader trend. For several months now, Stellantis has been announcing a growing number of partnerships aimed at sharing development costs and accelerating access to certain technologies.

Leapmotor will co-develop an Opel model to be produced in Spain. Dongfeng is partnering with a Peugeot plant in France. Future small electric cars Fiat Panda (which is reportedly being renamed Koala) and Citroën 2CV could also be developed with the support of external partners in Pomigliano d’Arco.

So, the idea of future Maserati and Alfa Romeo models being designed with the help of a third-party manufacturer is no longer far-fetched. And in the end, the real surprise is that, if our information is confirmed, one of the two candidates would not be Chinese but German. And not just any German company—BMW.

A scenario that would have seemed completely unrealistic just a few months ago, but one that could now explain a great deal about the future of Maserati… and that of the upcoming Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio. As a reminder, back in 2008, BMW and Fiat had already announced that they were considering a partnership for Alfa Romeo.