Photo: Alfa Romeo
The last completely new series model launched by Alfa Romeo was the 4C Spider and Coupe all the way in 2013, and we all know how that went for the Italian company.
Not very well, that's how. The whole FCA is currently undergoing changes meant to make their products more competitive on the international markets, but no other brand has received as much attention as Alfa Romeo. Attention and also money.
Recent investments in the Alfa brand add up to a total of 5 billion euros (about $5.5 billion), money FCA expects to recover over the next years. The first model to have benefited from this cash infusion is the Giulia, which will become available mid-2016 in Europe and a few months later in the US.
Giulia will be the first model out of a total of seven which, together with the 4C Spider roadster, will make up the planned eight-model Alfa Romeo range. And we won't have to wait too much for this to happen as after the Giulia launch, Alfa Romeo will be churning out one model after another every six months.
By 2019, the Alfa Romeo lineup should look something like this:
4C and 4C Spider: there are no further plans regarding the sports car design, but a more powerful GTA version could be on the cards.
Giulia: it will be officially unveiled at Frankfurt and will be offered at first with a Ferrari-developed V6 engine generating 510 hp as the Quadrifoglio (Cloverleaf) version. Other, more mundane trims will follow with regular four-cylinder engines.
Midsize SUV: it's expected to come right after Giulia, sharing its platform and engine range. It's cooked up as a rival for the likes of Audi Q5 or BMW X3.
Large sedan: an enlarged Giulia aimed at tackling the Audi A6 or Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It should make use of more powerful versions of the new engine range, but a V8 is still unlikely.
Roadster: a front-engined roadster larger than the Mazda MX-5 based Fiat 124, built on a shortened Giulia platform. Will use most of its engines as well.
Midsize coupe: it will essentially be a closed-top version of the roadster with its sights set on BMW M4 or Audi A5.
Large SUV: based on the underpinning of the larger sedan, the SUV will be going for veterans such as BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. However, it might face some tough times on important markets such as China, where the Alfa Romeo name is less known.
Compact hatch/sedan and coupe: this is a segment almost entirely dedicated to the European market, so Alfa is still pondering its options. The good news comes from FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne who said that future Alfa Romeo compact models could "technically" switch to a rear-wheel drive system using a shortened Giulia platform. That would put Alfa in a very select club where only BMW is (still) currently active, but no decision has yet been taken. Fingers crossed.
Given the new Giulia's design and the competent cars FCA has been launching recently, we don't see why the Alfa Romeo brand would not become an important name in the automotive industry once again. As long as they stick to what makes the brand what it is and are careful about naming their new models (yeah, it's too late for Giulia), those over five billion dollars could prove a good investment. Fingers crossed.
Recent investments in the Alfa brand add up to a total of 5 billion euros (about $5.5 billion), money FCA expects to recover over the next years. The first model to have benefited from this cash infusion is the Giulia, which will become available mid-2016 in Europe and a few months later in the US.
Giulia will be the first model out of a total of seven which, together with the 4C Spider roadster, will make up the planned eight-model Alfa Romeo range. And we won't have to wait too much for this to happen as after the Giulia launch, Alfa Romeo will be churning out one model after another every six months.
By 2019, the Alfa Romeo lineup should look something like this:
4C and 4C Spider: there are no further plans regarding the sports car design, but a more powerful GTA version could be on the cards.
Giulia: it will be officially unveiled at Frankfurt and will be offered at first with a Ferrari-developed V6 engine generating 510 hp as the Quadrifoglio (Cloverleaf) version. Other, more mundane trims will follow with regular four-cylinder engines.
Midsize SUV: it's expected to come right after Giulia, sharing its platform and engine range. It's cooked up as a rival for the likes of Audi Q5 or BMW X3.
Large sedan: an enlarged Giulia aimed at tackling the Audi A6 or Mercedes-Benz E-Class. It should make use of more powerful versions of the new engine range, but a V8 is still unlikely.
Roadster: a front-engined roadster larger than the Mazda MX-5 based Fiat 124, built on a shortened Giulia platform. Will use most of its engines as well.
Midsize coupe: it will essentially be a closed-top version of the roadster with its sights set on BMW M4 or Audi A5.
Large SUV: based on the underpinning of the larger sedan, the SUV will be going for veterans such as BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz GLE. However, it might face some tough times on important markets such as China, where the Alfa Romeo name is less known.
Compact hatch/sedan and coupe: this is a segment almost entirely dedicated to the European market, so Alfa is still pondering its options. The good news comes from FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne who said that future Alfa Romeo compact models could "technically" switch to a rear-wheel drive system using a shortened Giulia platform. That would put Alfa in a very select club where only BMW is (still) currently active, but no decision has yet been taken. Fingers crossed.
Given the new Giulia's design and the competent cars FCA has been launching recently, we don't see why the Alfa Romeo brand would not become an important name in the automotive industry once again. As long as they stick to what makes the brand what it is and are careful about naming their new models (yeah, it's too late for Giulia), those over five billion dollars could prove a good investment. Fingers crossed.
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