An unlikely contender is set to make a bid for a slice of the up-market sector of the fleet market.

Italian car maker Maserati will launch its first two diesel models in the next two years - paving the way for potential fleet sales.

Currently the company sells just 6,000 models per year but intends to grow that to a hefty 50,000 in the next three years with the help of four new models following a 1.2 billion euro investment.

A significant part of that growth is expected to come from sales of diesel models in the UK and Europe.

“With a target of 50,000 sales per year by 2015 we are looking at all possibilities for growth while still retaining the exclusivity that is important to Maserati, said Giulio Pastore, managing director of Maserati Europe.

He said the launch of the Maserati Ghibli with its 3.0-litre diesel engine in the third quarter of next year meant the company would be able to go into the fleet market for the first time.

“Our diesels will be 3.0-litre, six-cylinder models, while most fleet sales are 2.0-litre, four cylinder cars.

“We do believe, however, that there is an opening for our cars in the fleet market with the launch of the Ghibli.

“It might only represent a small proportion of the 50,000 sales we want to achieve but it is still important proportion."

Pastore said Maserati sold some 300 cars each year in the UK which represented five per cent of its sales and was its third biggest market.

By far the biggest was the USA with 45% followed by China with 15%.

“The UK represents 22% of our European sales but our plan is to try to get that figure to 25% by 2015.”

Maserati is launching four new models in the next three years. Including two diesel ones.

As well as the Ghibli - a rival to the BMW 5-Series - there will be the new diesel-powered Levante, an all-wheel-drive SUV, in 2014.

The first of the new models is its flagship. the Maserati Quattroporte which will be in showrooms next June.

“The Quattroporte already sells to company CEOs but with the Ghibli we hope to achieve a lot more company sales,” said Pastore