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Alfa Romeo to Launch 8 New Models by 2018, None of them Cheap

In a recent interview on the sidelines of the Geneva Motor Show, Alfa Romeo CEO Reid Bigland said that the company he represents won’t be launching any cheap cars anytime soon. They will, however, launch up to 8 new models in the upcoming years.
Alfa Romeo 4C 1 photo
Photo: Alfa Romeo
More and more premium manufacturers are looking to diversify their offerings by introducing smaller, cheaper cars that sell in bigger volumes. In the US, Mercedes-Benz and Audi are obvious examples, with their $30,000 CLA-Class and A3 models but other are going to join in pretty soon, like BMW for example.

Alfa Romeo won’t go that way according to its current chief. The big advantage this brand has is that it’s flanked within the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles company by Ferrari and Maserati at the higher end and lowbrow brands like Fiat and Dodge at the other side of the rope so there’s more room to breathe.

Another issue that unsettles the CEO regarding such an approach is that the brand gets diluted if you offer cars with a low price tag.

“How much can a brand be stretched before the exclusivity and the image associated with that brand becomes compromised,” he said to Auto Guide.

At the moment, the Italian company sells just three models after the 8C went out of production. They have the 4C which is a brilliant piece of engineering, the Mito and the Giulietta for you.

This year, they plan to launch a 3 Series rival that should give the German a run for its money if it is built to the same principles as the 4C. An Italian that has better handling than a German? Bring it on!
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