Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
It's no secret that small hatchbacks aren't profitable, but that's especially true if the design is Italian and ten years old. Thus, the Alfa Romeo MiTo could find its head on the executioner's block unless it evolves into something else: a crossover.
So which is it, will the MiTo be discontinued or replaced by a crossover? Well, as things stand right now, we're talking about the former solution, as neither it nor the Giulietta are considered priorities.
There are many problems with the MiTo... other than the design being 10 years old. Alfa Romeo knows that people in China or North America don't want it. It's also built to a different standard than the Giulia and Stelvio, while the 2-door body offers very limited practicality.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show, FCA chairman Sergio Marchionne told Auto Express that "if there is a MiTo [in future] I don't think it will be in the [current] shape. The market has shrunk – two-door B-segment hatchbacks is a very shrinking market.”
SUVs and crossovers are booming right now, and Alfa is likely to focus on those. Their next product is likely to be a more massive 4x4 that sits above the Stelvio, likely competing with the BMW X5.
Alfa's boss Reid Bigland even suggested that the MiTo and Giulia might be scrapped altogether, but insisted the two current generations are still very good cars.
If the MiTo does indeed transition into a small crossover, it could call upon the shared technology from the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, both of which have done relatively well.
Other companies are doing similar revisions. For example, the French DS brand is looking to replace the DS3 with the DS3 Crossback, likely also for the sake of its Chinese buyers. Ford isn't going to offer a new Fiesta in America, so it's mostly been replaced by the EcoSport.
We'll likely know more about what Alfa plans to do on June 1st when a new strategy will be revealed. However, we all know Sergio's ideas don't always materialize on time.
There are many problems with the MiTo... other than the design being 10 years old. Alfa Romeo knows that people in China or North America don't want it. It's also built to a different standard than the Giulia and Stelvio, while the 2-door body offers very limited practicality.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show, FCA chairman Sergio Marchionne told Auto Express that "if there is a MiTo [in future] I don't think it will be in the [current] shape. The market has shrunk – two-door B-segment hatchbacks is a very shrinking market.”
SUVs and crossovers are booming right now, and Alfa is likely to focus on those. Their next product is likely to be a more massive 4x4 that sits above the Stelvio, likely competing with the BMW X5.
Alfa's boss Reid Bigland even suggested that the MiTo and Giulia might be scrapped altogether, but insisted the two current generations are still very good cars.
If the MiTo does indeed transition into a small crossover, it could call upon the shared technology from the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade, both of which have done relatively well.
Other companies are doing similar revisions. For example, the French DS brand is looking to replace the DS3 with the DS3 Crossback, likely also for the sake of its Chinese buyers. Ford isn't going to offer a new Fiesta in America, so it's mostly been replaced by the EcoSport.
We'll likely know more about what Alfa plans to do on June 1st when a new strategy will be revealed. However, we all know Sergio's ideas don't always materialize on time.
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