It's a story that we've heard again, and again, and again from the Fiat Group; re-launch and turn the Alfa Romeo brand into a global player in the premium segment.
Whether the Italians will to stick to the program remains to be seen, but given the recent developments with Maserati, including the introduction of the new Quattroprote and sightings of Ghibli prototypes, there's a good chance Fiat means it this time.
And we say this because the group's CEO Sergio Marchionne has made the decision to support and expand the range of both Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands.
So, what does the future hold for Alfa Romeo? According to an official Fiat Group document with Alfa Romeo's product plan, the company will invest around €1 billion (US$1.32 billion) through 2014 for the introduction of nine new models that will be sold globally, though the brand will primarily target the NAFTA (U.S., Canada and Mexico) and EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) regions.
While the document does not name the cars Alfa Romeo plans to launch, it does reveal the segments they belong to.
These include replacements for the B-segment (sub-compact) Mito and C-segment (compact) Giulietta hatchbacks, three entries in the D-segment (mid-size), likely to be the sedan and estate versions of the new Giulia and possibly a crossover, an E-segment sedan to rival the BMW 5-Series, and three specialty models that will include the 4C Coupe, the Mazda MX-5-based Spider and one more vehicle.
Stay tuned as we will soon bring the product plans for Maserati as well.
1 Comments:
Its odd that other than the niche 4C there are no Alfa Romeo coupes listed, when this is stated as part of Alfa Romeo's DNA in the chart.
There has been a lot of rumour surrounding an Alfa Romeo SUV, but I had thought of it as a compact SUV in the C segment rather than a larger product to compete in the D segment? And if they are linking up with Jeep to sell cars globally is it wise to introduce a direct rival into the same showrooms, when other segments and niches are not covered. I realise coupes are less popular than they once were, but there is still a market for cars like the 4 series and Audi A5 in the US and Europe where Alfa's renaissance must begin, and the brand has always done well with coupes. The GT was a decent success for the company when it was concieved as a stop gap on a limited budget.
I therefore wonder if the third D segment car is a Giulia (or GTV) coupe?
I also wonder if the E segment car will be a saloon at all or if it will be a halo luxury sports car based on the Maserati Ghilbi platform. It would prevent overlap with the Ghilbi and is more likely to be a modest success in Europe where an E segment Alfa would unfortunately probably struggle, however such a car may be essential in the States.
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