“A result achieved through a project of constant growth”, specifies Massimo Di Risio, president of the Molise Group. “From 2016 to today we have embarked on a path of technological, qualitative and stylistic development that has allowed us to gain market share step by step. And 2023 will be a year of further expansion for our group. With the launch of the two new premium brands Sportequipe and ICKX we will have 4 brands for a total of 17 models, which will range from a full-electric city car to a common-rail diesel off-road vehicle, passing through SUVs of different sizes Thermohybrid petrol/ LPG or Hybrid Plug-ins. With this offer we believe we can satisfy any type of demand”.
In detail, the range will see the entry of the DR 1 EV city car, the DR 3.0, DR 7.0 and the 4×4 pick-up, which will join the DR 4.0 (4th best-selling LPG model in 2022 in Italy), DR 5.0 and DR 6.0 (9th best-selling LPG model in 2022 in Italy). As far as EVO is concerned, in addition to the current Evo 3 and the Cross4 pick-up, 2023 will bring the restyling of the EVO 4 and the arrival of the new EVO 5.
Sportequipe, on the other hand, will immediately be on the market with the three SUVs Sportequipe 5, Sportequipe 6 and Sportequipe 7. From the second half of the year, it will be enriched by the full-electric city car Sportequipe 1 and the 7-seater Hybrid Plug-in Sportequipe 8. ICKX will finally debut with the K2, latest generation 2.0 diesel off-road.
In addition to turnover, structural investments have grown hand in hand. During 2022, the DR and EVO production plant was expanded, which today boasts 4 assembly lines and works on three shifts, guaranteeing a monthly production of up to 5,000 units. The research and development center with annexed style center has also been upgraded, while the new automated spare parts warehouse is nearing completion and the new production plant dedicated to the Sportequipe and ICKX brands has recently opened its doors.
“We are in a moment of great expansion also from the point of view of the sales network”, added Di Risio. The Italian DR and EVO network currently has a total of around 200 dealers and in the meantime we are building the one dedicated to the two new brands. Furthermore, 2023 will be the year in which we will begin to concretely implement our presence on foreign markets, starting with the Spanish one which has already delivered about a thousand units in 2022″. (fp)