As proof of just how far Maserati->ke51 will go to exponentially expand its customer base and increase sales, Avis Rental Car has just announced that it will be adding the all-new 2015 Maserati Ghibli to its fleet of rental units. The new entry-level Maserati will only be available at certain locations in Dallas, Orlando, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Beverly Hills, Phoenix, San Francisco and, of course, South Florida.
The Ghibli joins other performance and luxury models such as the Chevrolet Corvette,->ke1280 BMW 5 Series->ke317 and Mercedes-Benz GL450 in Avis’ Signature Series of vehicles. We reached out to Avis to see how much it would cost to rent a Ghibli, and while prices vary by location, a representative did say that Signature Series vehicles tend to only be offered at airport locations. Looking at the website, we were unable to find any Ghiblis available for rent, but we did see prices as high as $184.99 per day for other models in the Signature Series.
Getting the Ghibli in the rental fleet will definitely help create additional visibility for Maserati among prospective buyers. In the U.S. alone this year, Maserati sales are up almost 172 percent compared to last year with a total of about 13,000 units. Maserati expects to meet its global sales target of 50,000 units by next year and cap sales at 75,000 annual units by 2018. This sales surge builds on the recent introduction of the new Ghibli and the redesigned Quattroporte->ke336, and Maserati plans to further expand its lineup with the all-new Levante->ke4493 crossover next year and a production version of the Alfieri Concept->ke4832 the following year.
For now, though, if you’re looking for a cool car in which to drive to your big high school reunion, we can’t think of a better car than the Ghibli.
Click past the jump to read more about this Maserati rental car.
Why it matters
While rental fleets are usually an easy way for automakers to unload inventory and boost sales figures, they can also be a helpful tool to show off the vehicles -- especially considering the Maserati’s limited dealer network in the U.S. That being said, the Avis locations renting out the $69,800 Ghibli are far more limited than the dealers, but it is just one more tool that Maserati can use to boost brand awareness amongst potential customers.