What Coronavirus can’t disrupt doesn’t exist. So, it is not surprising that Italian luxury automaker, Maserati’s Grecale is the latest victim of the global chip shortage. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused many factories that produce semiconductors and other chips to slow down or halt production. As such, the reveal date of Maserati’s SUV has been pushed from 16 November to the second quarter of next year, 2022.
Stellantis-owned Maserati said in a statement that the decision was taken because of the frequent disruptions in the supply of parts. The statement read, “In particular, due to a scarcity of semiconductors, production volumes would not adequately meet expected global demand.” The Maserati’s SUV, Grecale, will be produced in Cassino in central Italy. When it comes to connectivity and its human-machine interface, it will unravel “ground-breaking” features.
It will be recalled that Stellantis had earlier in October announced that its Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV, which was originally due to make its debut at the end of this year, will now go on sale from March after its production was impacted by component and supply chain interruptions.
The latest forecasts suggest that 2022 could still be a bleak year as supply chains work to unblock and adapt to meet demand. While the worst of it may come to an end this year, a full recovery from the shortage may not come until the first half of 2023.
In a recent media appearance, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said “The semiconductor crisis, from everything I see – and I’m not sure I can see everything – is going to drag into ’22 easy because I don’t see enough signs that additional production from Asian sourcing points is going to come to the West in the near future.”
Stellantis join other auto manufacturers that include Ford, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mini, Subaru, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen in delaying new-model launches as a direct result of the chip shortage.
Stellantis was formed this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the Peugeot Societe Anonyme (PSA) Groupe. It is the world’s fourth-largest vehicle producer with brands including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroen, Dodge, DS, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Mopar, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall under its umbrella.
(Read: Volvo, Hyundai recall Vehicles over Faulty Airbags and Faulty Turn Signals)
