The Business Car Files


“We’ve never designed a car to take true advantage of loopholes in Benefit in Kind... but Folgore is a happy coincidence.


to take advantage of BIK and every ICE model, even the mild hybrids, are at the maximum 37% standard charge. For a 40% taxpayer, for even the most affordable Grecale, you’re talking around £800 a month.


“What we now see, with the 2% BIK scale charge, it opens a significant audience. So, whilst it would be great to think we would sell many GranTurismo Folgore into fleet, there’s a luxury price, but you’ll pay a low benefit in kind, and we’re still excited at the opportunity. “That isn’t enough, because we’ve also got to be doing the right thing in terms of proactive engagement with the leasing companies, and salary sacrifice partners – now these cars are becoming available.


“To give confidence to people embarking on the Maserati ownership experience – the first three services are included into the list price – we’ve done this since 2018, and it has served us very well. Not least from a retail perspective, but also broadly in terms of fleet, when calculating maintenance payments. We’re giving everyone confidence with what’s covered within that contract, so the lease providers only need to build out ancillaries for items such as tyres within that.


“We’ve also been working equally hard with the right data providers on the specification of the vehicles, in order that we will get a strong forecasted residual value – an intrinsic part of


the process – which we have! Also, working with them to optimise the specification of the vehicles too.”


Surely the majority of corporate Folgore buyers are going to be new to the brand? PC says: “Its uniqueness will bring a Porsche Taycan customer (of which there are a lot!), or a Bentley Continental customer, who wants to have an electric car. They will be new to our brand. There’s a decent number of Aston Martin and Bentley customers that don’t currently have a choice, so the GranTurismo more than the Grecale Folgore offers us a conquest opportunity for fleet. With Grecale still being the volume player.


“Until now we have been retail-focused, with Grecale as well. Short supply and high-end pricing, we’ve not done a single daily rental car, we’ve completely stayed out of big corporate, with Folgore, there’s a chance in a quality way, to enter some of those corporate channels.” HD says: “The Grecale is not a car we’ve deliberately sold many units into the corporate space.


“So, what’s possible? The answer is we don’t know yet. What we do know is that we’ve got a very competitive and desirable proposition and we’re not chasing the volume. We must retain the premium element to these cars, which it more than matches up to. I won’t be out there chasing opportunities to discount the


car and put us into a position that we’re not comfortable with.”


PC says: “What excites me most for Folgore, is the fact that we haven’t launched or priced the cars, and we’ve got corporate people wanting to have meetings.”


HD says: “I cannot do it on my own, but we are fortunate to have some fantastic dealer partners, who do have corporate teams.” Have you got a partner for Maserati charging boxes? HD says: “All cars come with a Maserati-branded charging box; we’re empowering the customer to make their own fitment arrangements. If they’re struggling, or want the box installed before the car arrives, we’re working with Bosch and Free2move, who have an infrastructure of engineers, or recommended people that will do it. “We recognise that some people will have their own electrician – they may even have more than one home, so we’re covering all avenues in terms of the ownership of these EV models. We’re also thoughtful about the second owners of the vehicle and how we look after them and the position for the second owner is a winning one. Being part of the Stellantis Group, we benefit from their insight and expertise in terms of what makes a winning EV proposition. Clearly, with the RV, we must have a winning proposition when it reaches its second or third owner.


Above: Howard Dalziel, national corporate sales manager


Below: In time, Maserati will have a Folgore derivative for all models - the first will be the GranTurismo Folgore Coupe.


www.businesscar.co.uk | February 2024 | 29


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