Sick of seeing Alfa Romeo Giulias everywhere you go? Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would love that to be the case, but the model is only just ramping up in the U.S. after its December introduction. January saw a whopping 70 sales, beating December’s 29 by a mile.
Positioned as a rear-drive alternative to BMW’s 3 and 4 Series, as well as other German competitors, the long-to-arrive Giulia’s American success is far from guaranteed, though its broad price range leaves plenty of room for new customers enticed by its Italian flair.
Alfa’s plan to cement its U.S. return includes launching nine new models over the next five years. According to one report, the next model coming down the pipe is a no-brainer.
Australia’s Motoring claims Alfa will bring a two-door version of the Giulia to the Geneva Motor Show next month, likely bearing the classic Sprint moniker.
There’s no confirmation from the automaker, nor is there an explanation of where this information came from, but it seems an entirely likely way for the brand to diversify its lineup. We already know of the upcoming Stelvio SUV, meaning Alfa needs seven more models to flesh out its stable.
A coupe version of the Giulia would allow Alfa to take on two-door competitors like the strong-selling Audi A5. We have to assume a twin-turbocharged Quadrifoglio will be part of the mix, as the Audi S5 needs a competitor, too.
When and if it shows up — hopefully on time — the Giulia Sprint will no doubt carry a heftier price tag than its sedan sibling. Given the way automakers have erased two-doors from the lower rungs of their lineups, it wouldn’t be a shock to see it arrive in mid-range and high-spec trims only.
[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]
-Meeting in Italy-
“Where are all the new Giulia sedans?!”
“Sir, we’ve realized it’s easier and faster to make cars with only two doors, because there are less materials involved.”
“How interesting…”
—
But seriously, why not make some sedans first before you start changing up the body style offerings.
C’mon Corey! They sold 70!!!! Giulias in the US last month!
I ain’t impressed!
Hey now, that’s more than doubling the sales from the previous month! INSANE GROWTH.
In either Motor Trend or Automobile, they had a review of the Giulia from Italy and they spoke with the Italian designers. They asked about volume estimates for the first year, and got no response. They then asked if they thought they could beat Alfa’s Old US sales record of 8,000 cars a year from 1986 and they said not this first year. So my guess is they are looking to only sell around 5,000 here this year.
Why would the designers know about the sales numbers? There’s people in the US who would know more about that.
How dare you question Sergio Marchionne! He’s the smartest guy in the room. Just ask him, he’ll tell you.
Alfa Romeo jokes are overtaking VW jokes as my favorite.
Ah, VW surprised all, even with a poor showing in the US.
Everyone bags on Alfa, but I did see a Giulia Quadrifoglio this weekend. Me likey. And the local dealer just built a huge, lavish new facility that’s on par with the local BMW/Mercedes dealers. The effort may be legit.
Of course, the build quality and reliability are wild cards…but it looks like the brand has some kind of future. I’m interested in seeing where this goes. With FCA, at least there isn’t a dull moment.
“The effort may be legit.”
I’m sure the effort is legit, but was it the correct effort to make?
The Giulia QV is an awesome car, but it is an $80K super high performance sedan that sounds like a DTM car and comes from a brand that only Jalopnik-types care about. That’s a very limited market. The no-cloverleaf version sounds okay but it doesn’t set the world on fire.
Meanwhile the Journey was introduced in 2008 and last updated in 2011.
I guess the plan is to use the Alfa platform for many new cars across the other FCA brands, but I don’t see this working out.
I agree. They’re all worried about the quality of the creme brulee, when their appetizers are half-baked and cold.
A Journey, based on the Giulia? That could be interesting. :-O
*THAT* Guilia is $70K, but that’s more equivalent to a M3 type car. The rest of the line starts around $40,000, so figure $45-50,000 or so for one that’s equipped right, and it appears to be a legit performer too.
That’s pretty much in the thick of things for a 3-series/ATS/C-class car.
Like you say, we’ll see how it works out. Personally, I don’t see an issue with wanting to sell expensive cars – that’s where a lot of growth in the market is. Lots of unanswered questions about Alfa, but the first volume effort appears to be fairly tasty.
@Freedmike: Agreed. When the auto show came to town, I saw very little that got my blood flowing. But, purely from a looks and anticipated performance/driving dynamics perspective, the blue Giulia Quadrifoglio was at the top of the list.
It was much more desirable to me than the significantly more expensive Maseratis parked in its midst (of course, perhaps that’s because Maseratis are a known quantity which don’t in any way satisfy my practical impulses much less the objective of flying at least halfway under the radar). In short, it kind of hits the sweet spot between practical and exotic (exotic in the sense of different enough from the norm, albeit certainly it not an “exotic car”).
But, even if I had $70K burning a hole in my pocket, I don’t know that I could pull the trigger for all the usual reasons. And I’m not sure that the cheaper variants will possess anywhere near the same verve. Rather, over time, they may only conspire to chip away at the “specialness” that the Quadrifoglio currently seems to have in spades.
Meh I’d be more interested in a manual trans option than in fewer doors.
+1
When I hear about Alfa Romeos shedding doors, I assume it’s a reference to Italian build “quality” and ensuring your passengers have their seatbelts securely fastened before entering a sharp corner…
GMTA.
When I read the headline about shedding doors, I thought of doors falling off on the road. It’s a natural assumption, of course, considering they’re owned by Fiat.
You guys still in Nowhersville?
My favorite car by far at the new car auto show. Especially the Quardrifoglio in red but… I imagagine over the life of the loan it would probably cost that to keep it running although on the plus side it would be very low mileage!
Given how well 2 door coupes sell I wouldn’t be in rush to get these in dealer’s hands. However it would double the models available at your local Alfa dealer and choice is good.
I didn’t even realize the 4-door was for sale yet. For some reason, I visited Alfa’s US website last week. The fact that there isn’t even a build tool had me thinking the car was still months from coming out.
Also, having the stop/start button on the steering wheel is just weird.
I think they’re doing that because Ferrari has stop/start on the wheel.
I guess that leaves Maserati looking like the forgotten red-headed step child.
Alfa is a Sergio dream.
Alfa does have a loyal following, but it is small.
I don’t see Alfa becoming FCA’s Saviour outside the US. This is where FCA needs to concentrate.
A SUV/CUV Alfa makes more sense than changing the number of doors on a car.
Many laughed at Porsche.
HEY! A 2-door car I might actually want.
But then, I’m really looking for a nice, little, 3-door pickup truck.
A good chop shop can turn any hum-drum sedan into a pickup. A custom tailgate will cost extra, though.
they’re pretty, are supposed to perform well and have a spirited interface / driver experience … but … who wants to be first into that pool to test the reliability?
Anyone who plans to send it back once the lease is over, I would guess. I hope someone takes the plunge, I want see a bit more variety on the road.
Meanwhile, I’ve got an ad for a $299 lease on a Jaguar XE looking at me. Anything would be more interesting than a German or Japanese luxury car.
This will certainly make access to Giulia’s rear more difficult.
After backsliding and watching The Grand Tour even though it’s still annoying and watching Jeremy’s demonstration of the door jamb to steering wheel clearance a 2 door seems like a VERY GOOD IDEA.