Alfa Romeo to Delay Giulia Sedan and Upcoming SUV
Fans of gorgeous Italian luxury sedans (I’m talking to you, Associate Editor Craig Cole) may have to wait a bit longer for the arrival of the Giulia sedan.
According to Automotive News Europe, the upcoming vehicles that will anchor the revival of the Alfa brand are being delayed. The Giulia sedan was supposed to be launched in Europe at the end of this year, but is instead set to launch in the middle of next year. The SUV, which is based on the Giulia, won’t hit the market until 2017. American debuts of these vehicles occur up to six months after their European launch.
According to sources, Alfa is delaying the vehicle in order to refine its safety and ride quality.
Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne explained late last month that they are re-examining the global expansion of the Alfa brand, due to the economic slowdown in the Chinese market. He then reaffirmed a 5 billion euro investment that will be used to boost Alfa’s annual global sales to 400,000 units with eight new models.
The AutoNews report suggests that these sales targets are overly optimistic, and that Marchionne is doing his best to manage expectations of the Alfa revival.
[Source: Auto New s]
Sami has an unquenchable thirst for car knowledge and has been at AutoGuide for the past six years. He has a degree in journalism and media studies from the University of Guelph-Humber in Toronto and has won multiple journalism awards from the Automotive Journalist Association of Canada. Sami is also on the jury for the World Car Awards.
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Maybe FCA should re-examine the number of dealerships as well. There is no dealership near me but the closest one is over 200 miles within the same state. The Alfas could be somewhat exclusive without dealer volume in the future.
All the money they are putting into Alfa is having a brutal effect on Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat. There's essentially no new product in the next 4 years. GET IT RIGHT SERGIO!