autoevolution
 

Alfa Romeo CEO Promises the Tonale Will Bury Its Bad Reputation Regarding Reliability

“Donne e motori: gioie e dolori.” This old Italian saying states that women and cars cause a mix of joy and pain to those in love with them. Although most people can relate to how relationships are complicated, we do not doubt that the comparison with cars has to do with the low reliability that plagues some Italian carmakers, especially Alfa Romeo. According to Jean-Philippe Imparato, the new Tonale’s primary mission is to kill that idea for good.
Carlos Tavares and Jean-Philippe Imparato beside the Alfa Romeo Tonale 35 photos
Photo: Stellantis
Carlos Tavares and Jean-Philippe Imparato beside the Alfa Romeo TonaleCarlos Tavares and Jean-Philippe Imparato beside the Alfa Romeo TonaleCarlos Tavares and Jean-Philippe Imparato beside the Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale coverstory2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale2023 Alfa Romeo Tonale
In a chat with Autocar Business, the Alfa Romeo CEO said that he is fed up with the “condescending and patronizing” phrase that suggests people should cope with issues from the company’s vehicles because “it’s an Italian car.” Imparato even said that his father used to be a fan of the brand but eventually gave up on it because he needed two cars to make a good one.

Alfa Romeo took many measures to cut that perception for good, and Imparato took some journalists on a visit to the new Giambattista Vico plant. Ironically, it integrates the Pomigliano d’Arco industrial complex where the Alfasud was built. Despite being a brilliant car, the Alfasud faced so many quality issues that people used to say they could hear it rusting. Imparato wants that to stop.

The strategy involves both people and stricter quality control. For this entirely new plant, Stellantis selected 425 employees that are true alfisti –proud of the brand and its heritage. Together, they took 19,000 hours of training to build the Tonale. By establishing new procedures and tools, the carmaker wants each vehicle to deny another motto from the automotive industry: it preaches that nothing is more different than two identical cars.

Among the measures for the vehicles to be perfectly identical – holding no surprises for future customers, such as uneven panel gaps – Alfa Romeo adopted a meister bock. This tool consists of a body sculpted in aluminum to work as a model for tolerances as low as 0.07 mm. The produced bodies are compared to it thanks to laser measurement tools.

According to Autocar Business, Alfa Romeo will also 3D scan the car's interior to ensure all tolerances are respected. If the images generated are green, all is good. Yellow ones indicate assembly is about to fail production requirements and red ones demand correction. If that is what it takes for Alfa Romeo to deliver the same premium experience that brands such as Lexus, BMW, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz can offer, Tonale buyers will help elaborate a new saying that does not involve pain related to Italian cars.
If you liked the article, please follow us:  Google News icon Google News Youtube Instagram X (Twitter)
About the author: Gustavo Henrique Ruffo
Gustavo Henrique Ruffo profile photo

Motoring writer since 1998, Gustavo wants to write relevant stories about cars and their shift to a sustainable future.
Full profile

 

Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?

You will only receive our top stories