Maserati sales zoom from 127 to 723 in one year

Italian luxury car brand Maserati is growing fast in Korea, selling 723 cars in 2014, up 469 percent from 127 the previous year.

Fabrizio Cazzoli, CEO of Maserati Japan who also manages the Korean market, said Thursday that Korea is the No. 1 Maserati market in the Southeast Asia and Pacific (SEAP) region, which saw year-on-year growth of 252 percent. Korea accounted for 36 percent of total sales in the region.

Globally, Maserati sales increased 136 percent year-on-year to more than 36,500 cars.

“The growth in the Korean market gives special meaning not only for the SEAP region, but also for our global market,” said Cazzoli.

According to FMK, the local importer of Maserati vehicles, sales of the Ghibli sedan were 70 percent of total sales in Korea. The car debuted in late 2013 and sells for about 100 million won ($90,000).

Cazzoli said Maserati’s goal is to reach global sales of 75,000 by 2018. The automaker will release its first SUV, the Levante, next year.

This year in Korea, Maserati said it will focus on upgrading its lineup by releasing its flagship Quattroporte with a new 350-horsepower engine in the second half.

Cazzoli hopes Korean sales to grow about 70 percent from last year. The Italian auto brand will also participate in the Seoul Motor Show that opens in April.

Maserati plans to expand its service centers through its importer FMK. The company said a new service center will open in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, in the first half of the year.

BY JOO KYUNG-DON [kjoo@joongang.co.kr]