Alfa Romeo has some serious developments taking place in the next few years, including all-new replacements for the 166 and 159, as well as a compact SUV and a powerful all-new four-cylinder turbo petrol engine.
Speaking with gathered press at the recent Frankfurt Motor show, Alfa CEO and Fiat chief technical officer Harald Wester outlined the struggling brand’s need to sell 155 000 cars this year, before leaping to 400,000 vehicles in 2014. It’s a considerably lower figure than the million units that the firm had originally projected, but the range of exciting new developments should help the cause.
166 Replacement due in 2014, Luxury SUV axed
Alfa Romeo plans to launch a rear-wheel drive flagship saloon in what the company describes as the “near-premium” segment currently occupied by the likes of Volkswagen and Volvo. Initial reports suggesting that the new car, possibly dubbed 6C or Montreal, would be based on the Maserati Quattroporte have been now been supplanted by suggestions that the Chrysler 300C will provide the underpinnings.
The new car, which could be built in the US at one Chrysler’s plants of as part of the company’s bid to establish itself in the American market, will reportedly be powered by a V6 engine. Previous plans to work with Chrysler on a full-sized premium SUV have reportedly been shelved in favour of the upcoming saloon model, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that we won’t see an Alfa-badged SUV sometime in the near future…
Compact SUV, facelifted Mito and 4C by the end of 2013
A compact SUV, similar in both proportions and execution to Ford’s Kuga, has received the go-ahead from Alfa’s top brass. The car will combine “typical SUV versatility” in terms of packaging, along with “true Alfa Romeo performance” in its agility and handling. It’s a model that could trace its roots back to the Kamal SUV concept that the company showed off at the 2003 Geneva Auto Show.
2013 will also see the Mito receiving a facelift before being joined by a five-door version taoards the end of the year. The mid-engined 4C sportscar will also emerge during the course of 2013. Despite only constituting a fraction of the company’s projected figures, the 4C is still a vital model in the company’s plans as it is due to spearhead Alfa’s return to the North American market after an absence of almost two years.
Giulia and all-new powerplant key to 2014
2014 will be a vital year for the company, as it will herald the introduction of its long-awaited Giulia compact saloon. The Giulia, which will be offered in both saloon and estate variants, was originally dues to emerge in 2013, but has been pushed back an additional year – reportedly due to Fiat boss Sergio Marchionne rejecting the car’s initial styling. The Giulia will also see the first commercial application of Alfa Romeo’s upcoming turbocharged 1,8-litre petrol engine. This all-new unit has been under development since 2006 and will eventually replace the 1,75-litre turbo unit currently doing service in the Giulietta QV and 156. Designed for both longitudinal and transverse applications, the new unit will develop 224 kW and could find its way into the engine bay of future 4C models. 2014 will also see the Giulietta receiving a facelift to keep it looking fresh in the midst of the new additions to the model line-up.
Improved customer satisfaction
The top brass at Alfa Romeo are all too aware of the damage that the brand has endured as a legacy of so-so build quality, reliability issues and the standard of customer service, and are making a genuine effort to repair said issues. Alfa bosses did, however, claim that the company’s standings in the aforementioned criteria are pretty much on par with the rest of the automotive industry and owned up to past mistakes centred on the brand’s excessive reliance on style as opposed to the more solid values of ownership experience and managing its model plans to suit general global trends.
If Alfa Romeo can bolster its reputation on the back of these exciting models, the brand could well be on track to make a serious impact in the global car market within the next three years.
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