Maserati to Drastically Cut Levante Production
The plant in question also builds the Alfa Romeo MiTo.
Production of the Maserati Levante SUV is getting scaled back, according to a report by Automotive News Europe.
The workers union says the Mirafiori plant in Turin, Italy largely responsible for the Levante will have its working hours cut through to July. The reduced hours come after last year's "temporary layoffs," a production culling measure in which employees were temporarily sent home as a response to dwindling market demand. According to AN Europe, the Mirafiori facility also builds the Europe-only Alfa Romeo MiTo.
In place of the temporary layoffs, the Fiat Chrysler-owned automaker is now implementing "solidarity contracts" in which all workers agree to take fewer hours in exchange for no permanently lost jobs. The solidarity contracts will reportedly cut hours by 59 percent in lieu of 2,080 jobs.
Today's news comes in spite of the brand posting significant, Levante-led sales growth in the second quarter of last year and its plans for a second, Stelvio-based, trident-badged crossover. For what it's worth, The Drive's chief auto critic Lawrence Ulrich enjoyed his time with the Levante, calling it "a spicy meatball of an SUV."
We've reached out to Maserati for comment and will update this story if we get a response.
The 2018 Maserati Levante starts at $74,790.
