FGA CAPITAL BIENTÔT UNE BANQUE... MAIS DÉJÀ CAPTIVE DE MASERATI

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles vient de demander à la Banque d'Italie d'accorder une licence bancaire à sa captive, une entité codétenue avec le Crédit Agricole et qui officie aussi depuis peu sous la marque blanche Maserati Financial Services sur le Vieux Continent.

Une nouvelle page de l'histoire de FGA Capital sera ouverte en 2014. En effet, d'après une source citée par l'agence Reuters, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles a demandé à la Banque d'Italie d'accorder une licence bancaire à FGA Capital, une société détenue à parts égales avec le Crédit Agricole (le constructeur et l'établissement bancaire français ont décidé mi-2013 de prolonger cette coentreprise jusqu'au 31 décembre 2021).

Accéder aux prêts bon marché de la BCE

L'objectif recherché avec cette licence bancaire ? Tout simplement la possibilité d'accéder aux prêts bon marché de la BCE. "Fiat n'a pu avoir accès aux fonds de la BCE pendant les deux années de financement à long terme (LTRO) parce qu'il n'avait pas de banque", a expliqué la source à Reuters. Contrairement à d'autres constructeurs disposant de leurs propres banques, le groupe transalpin n'a donc pas pu accéder à ces fonds bon marché proposés par la BCE. Mais cela n'a pas empêché sa captive d'étoffer son champ d'intervention.

Maserati Financial Services concerne toute l'Europe

FGA Capital et Maserati ont signé à la fin de l'année dernière un accord de partenariat donnant naissance à l'entité Maserati Financial Services (Maserati évolue dans le périmètre de Fiat Chrysler Automobiles). Cette entité proposera des offres de financements aussi bien aux clients finaux qu'aux concessionnaires, notamment via des solutions de floor plan, et aura pour opérateur FGA Capital sur tout le Vieux Continent. Bref, il faut s'attendre à une hausse du montant moyen des dossiers de financement de FGA Capital en Europe !

Par Armindo Dias, le 18/02/2014

http://www.journalauto.com/lja/article.view/19073/fga-capital-bientot-une-banque-mais-deja-captive-de-maserati/6/services

Fiat Group and Chrysler Post Strong Second Quarter Results

Fiat Group and Chrysler had a strong second quarter with increases in unit sales, revenue and net income. 

Fiat Group as a whole sold 1,155,000 cars worldwide in the second quarter of 2013, 53,000 more cars than in Q2 2012. It had net revenue of €22.325 billion, €801 million more than in Q2 2012. Earnings before interest and taxes were up €125 million to €1.057 billion. Net profit after one-time expenses was €423 million, up €117 million from Q2 2012. 

While these numbers look positive, there is a major problem hidden in them. These figures were for all of Fiat Group, including Chrysler. When Chrysler was excluded from the financial results, earnings before interest and taxes fell to €90 million, €6 million less than Q2 2012. Net profit for Fiat excluding Chrysler was a loss of €192 million, compared to a loss of €154 million in Q2 2012. 

Sales continued to fall in Europe but were strong in Asia. European sales from Fiat Group hit 287,000 units, down 5% from Q2 2012. In Asia, Fiat Group sales were up 46% to 38,000 cars. 

North America was Fiat Group's largest market with 572,000 units sold, up 4% from Q2 2012. 

Latin American sales were also up by 14% to 258,000 cars.

Chrysler

Chrysler by itself had net revenue of $18 billion, up 7% from Q2 2012. It had operating profit of $808 million, up $53 million from Q2 2012. Net income was $507 million, up $71 million from Q2 2012. It sold 660,000 cars in the quarter, 30,000 cars more than Q2 2012.

Chrysler sales were up 17% in the US, which was its largest market gain. It holds 11.4% of the US auto market, up from 11.2% from Q2 2012.

"Chrysler Group is poised for a very strong performance in the second half of the year, with the new Jeep Grand Cherokee andRam 1500 pickup earning best-in-class recognition, and the all-new Jeep Cherokee now rolling off the line,” said Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne.

Ferrari

Ferrari sold 1,969 cars in the second quarter, up 2%. The US is Ferrari's largest market with 481 cars sold, up 6%. 

It posted earnings before interest and taxes of €96 million, up €8 million from Q2 2012.

Maserati

Maserati sold 2,291 cars in the second quarter, up 29%. It had earnings before interest and taxes of €9 million, down €6 million from Q2 2012. The reduced profit was due to launching the new Quattroporte.

Fiat Group and Chrysler Post Strong Second Quarter Results :: News :: autoviva.com

Maserati Expecting Much Better Sales of New Quattroporte in US and China

Maserati has set a goal of selling 50,000 cars annually by 2015, but sales have not been over 10,000 cars in the last decade. It is hoping that the new, sixth-generation Quattroporte will boost sales massively in the United States and China. It believes that sales of just the Quattroporte could be over 10,000 cars a year.

“We launched the previous car in 2003 and it is clear now that the car didn’t fully respect the requests of our customers. Once we fixed those shortcomings, and especially the gearbox, sales peaked in 2006 at 6000 cars in a year. That was with a three-year old car.

“The new Quattroporte meets the dimension requirements for Chinese and US customers. All our changes mean it is appealing to buyers in so many more markets – and many of those markets are expanding," said Maserati CEO Harald Wester.

The new Quattroporte rides on a new platform and will be offered with either a 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 or a 3.8-liter twin-turbo V8. All-wheel drive will be available from launch, and a diesel will be added later.  The rest of the sales are expected to be taken by the mid-size Ghibli and Kubang SUV.

Source: Autocar via autoviva.com

Maserati Ghibli Will Be First Ever Diesel Maserati

Maserati has finally unveiled its new Ghibli sedan that will go on sale later in the year and be unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show.

Maserati hopes to use the smaller model to add sales volume to the brand, and it will be the first Maserati ever to be offered as a diesel. It hopes to sell 50,000 units a year.

The Ghibli looks very similar to its big brother, the new Quattroporte, except at the front where designers cribbed a little from the GranTurismo. It is still an aggressive design that adds a little muscle to the sometimes-boring world of executive sedans.

When it goes on sale, the Ghibli will be offered with two engines, either a twin-turbo V6 petrol or twin-turbo V6 diesel. Maserati has not released specs for either engine in the Ghibli yet, but in the Quattroporte the petrol V6 produces 405hp and 406lb-ft of torque.

The diesel V6 will make Ghibli the first ever diesel Maserati, but the engine will also be available in the Quattroporte by the end of the year.

Both engines will use an eight-speed automatic, and there will be both rear-and all-wheel drive powertrain options.

via autoviva.com

Maserati's Smaller Ghibli Will Be Positioned Against 5 Series

We know Maserati has a smaller sedan called the Ghibli coming, but the company has not announced when or released any photos of the car. It is supposed to be on sale by the end of the year, though. However, its engine options are beginning to leak out, and they are quite exciting.  The Ghibli will be poised against cars like the BMW 5 Series, Audi A6 and Porsche Panamera when it is released, and it will share engines with the new Quattroporte, albeit with a little detuning. It will also get a diesel option, a first for a Maserati.  The Ghibli will get detuned versions of the new twin-turbo V6 and twin-turbo V8 from the Quattroporte with about 385hp and 480hp respectively and an eight-speed automatic transmission. Ferrari will build both new engines, although the V6 is actually based on Chrysler's Pentastar V6. The diesel will be a tuned version of the 3.0 CRD diesel, which produces 237hp and 410lb-ft in its current most powerful form in the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Maserati is planning a new product explosion over the next five years. It sold 6,288 cars in 2012 and wants to sell 50,000 cars by 2018. It will do this with the new Quattroporte, Ghibli, updated GranTurismo and Levante SUV. There are even rumors of a sports car based on the Alfa Romeo 4C.  Source: Autocar via autoviva.com

Fiat Will Build Maserati and Alfa Romeo SUVs at Mirafiori

Fiat says that it will build Maserati's new SUVs at its Mirafiori factory near Turin. The Maserati SUV, which had previously been called the Kubang is known as the Levante and is slated to debut in 2014. It will share a platform with the Jeep Grand Cherokee. Alfa Romeo will follow suit in 2015 with a Jeep-based SUV. The Mirafiori factory will also build Jeep SUVs. The reason for building all of these trucks in Italy is to keep the factory running at capacity. It is currently running just a few days a week. Jeep is rapidly becoming one of the most profitable brands in Fiat's portfolio, and it plans to take advantage of the platforms from the brand. "I've made a commitment. We are not closing Mirafiori. We will make luxury cars for both Maserati and for Alfa Romeo," said Marchionne. The luxury SUVs will be exported to North America, Russia and Asia to feed the areas with the highest demand. Marchionne wants to use US Chrysler dealers to sell the cars. Source: Automotive News Europe via autoviva.com