Dubai: The Italian marque Maserati does have its sights — and the plans in place — on becoming a 50,000 plus units a year manufacturer. And it is to build its first SUV version, the much anticipated Levante and an instant best-seller in these markets, from next year.

But for Umberto Cini, managing director at Maserati General Overseas Markets, all of that represents an obsession with what the future holds. “It distracts from what is happening with Maserati in the now — and we have been doing some good numbers in this region and working our way to do more,” said Cini. (By the way, the brand is marking its centennial.)

“Even globally, that holds true. Maserati did 15,000 vehicles last year (it was 6,000 plus in 2012) and the target for 2015 is to close in on 50,000. I don’t think there’s been any automotive brand which has gone up from 6,000 to 15,000 and then on to 50,000 in such a short span. The position we are in now suggests that’s quite within our capabilities.”

Driving up those numbers would be the Ghibli, the mid-sized offering from the maker’s stable which was introduced late last year in the UAE and been picking up a lot of raves ever since. “We will be getting the full-year benefit of the Ghibli (priced upwards of Dh285,000) and that would sit nicely along with the continuing pull the Quattroporte (Dh440,000 plus for the sixth-generation version) exerts,” said Cini.

“That target of 50,000 units a year is not conditional on the Levante’s introduction and how it will be received. There are several building blocks to the Maserati’s target and a solid base has already been laid.”

As has been the case with all the other super-luxury marques, Maserati has seen a lift in its UAE sales numbers. “The Middle East’s been delivering one of the highest growths in our global operations; for instance, in January alone we managed to do more units than in the whole of 2007,” said Cini. “That’s why expanding our network further holds a lot of rationale — we added Morocco late last year and recently did Jordan.

“It’s natural that a market where we have just made an entry will see an immediate spike and then move into a more natural pattern of growth. The maximising of opportunities happens over a two or three year time frame. But each new territory takes us closer to the volume targets.

“In today’s global auto industry context, even 50,000 units a year does not turn Maserati into a volume player. We will still remain a small prestige brand.”