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Fiat Relies on Chrysler to Revive the Alfa Romeo Brand

Chrysler Group will play a decisive role in Fiat’s plans to revive the Alfa Romeo brand, Automotive News announces. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne made a strong commitment to the group’s troubled sporty brand during a presentation of Fiat's five-year strategy yesterday. The U.S. automaker will build two new Alfa crossover models for sale in North America and Europe.

Marchionne announced the launch of seven new Alfa models between 2010 and 2014 and said Fiat is determined to transform the brand into a "full-line premium carmaker." He also said Alfa will sell 85,000 units in North America in 2014, out of 500,000 that Alfa aims to sell worldwide in that year.

Chrysler will build for Alfa Romeo a compact SUV based on the Compact platform that the Giulietta hatchback is based on. Production of this model will begin in 2012. Two years later, Alfa will get a large SUV from Chrysler, similar in size to the next Jeep Liberty (sold as the Cherokee in Europe). These two models will be built in two of the three U.S. plants that Chrysler Group plans to equip for new Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep models based on Fiat-Chrysler’s Compact Wide architecture.

Alfa Romeo will also sell a mid-sized sedan and wagon when sales will start in the U.S. in late 2012. The car will replace the 159 and will be named Giulia in the U.S., where it will be imported from Italy.

Also to come in the USA is a five-door version of the MiTo small car, currently sold in Europe as a three-door. The five-door MiTo will be sold from 2013 in both Europe and North America. The Giulietta compact hatchback will arrive in the U.S. in 2014, when the car will get a facelift. Alfa will continue to build the Mito and Giulietta in Italy.
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