Chip shortage delays Maserati Grecale

STELLANTIS-owned Maserati has joined a long list of manufacturers facing production delays as part of the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, announcing that the debut of its mid-sized Grecale SUV will be postponed until the second quarter of next year.

Originally due to make its global debut on November 16 – and slated for arrival in Australian showrooms by mid-2022 – the sub-Levante SUV is one of several Stellantis group models facing delay from the industry-wide disruption. 

Stellantis also announced recently 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 company said that despite the issues it is continuing to do everything possible to ensure production delays are minimised.

“Maserati is still hard at work in spite of the component supply problems hitting the entire transportation industry and is determined to guarantee the continuity of its business,” a spokesperson said.

 “However, due to the shortage of semiconductors, the quantity of production would not allow us to properly respond to the expected global demand for the Grecale. 

“We have delayed production in view of the background problems that have caused interruptions in the supply chains for the key components necessary to complete the car’s production process.” 

The Stellantis group has paused production at several plants globally in response to the chip shortage. It has forecast that it will produce 1.4 million vehicles fewer this year than originally planned.

The FIM-CISL union – the trade union representing vehicle production workers – said the impact of the semiconductor shortage on Stellantis’ Italian production this year will be “worse and longer-lasting” than the damage to output caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

The Semiconductor Industry Association said increased demand for laptops, tablets, and other technology items throughout the COVID-19 pandemic increase demand for its product by more than 6.5 per cent at a time when shutdowns were impacting chief chip production facilities in China, Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea. 

The industry is said to be working “at capacity” to address the shortfall in demand, but the delays mean vehicle production will not return to normal for up to 12 months.

“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 CEO Carlos Tavares told media recently.

Stellantis group models join others from manufacturers including 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 much-publicised chip shortage.

Stellantis, formed this year through the merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and the Peugeot Societe Anonyme (PSA) Groupe, 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.