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Alfa Romeo could kick off U.S. return with Giulia large sedan instead of MiTo hatchback

 
6 2,888 views Aug 4, 2009

2008 alfa romeo mito motorauthority 003

A bigger car is expected to meet a larger fan base among sedan-loving American buyers

A bigger car is expected to meet a larger fan base among sedan-loving American buyers

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Americans still haven't fully embraced the concept of the hatchback as a useful, practical vehicle for families, and nowhere is this more true than in the luxury segment. BMW and Mercedes-Benz both make premium small cars, but neither sells the hatch versions in the U.S. And so it appears Alfa Romeo is following a similar line of business logic, with the latest reports indicating the Giulia sedan - a replacement to the European 159 (pictured) - may be the first Alfa Romeo to return to U.S. shores.

Of course, the Alfa 8C Competizione has been sold in here in the 15 years since the brand left, but the Giulia would mark the return of the everyday production cars to American sales. Earlier reports had pegged the MiTo and Milano as the first models destined for the land of the Stars and Stripes, but a new interview with Alfa Romeo CEO Sergio Cravero points in the opposite direction.

"The Giulia is a car that could be the most interesting for the U.S. market,” Cravero told Bloomberg. “We need to build cars together with Chrysler that have an Alfa Romeo soul."

And that tells a lot of the story right there - Alfa Romeo is already a none-too-successful division of Fiat in the rest of the world. Making the costly re-entry to the U.S. market can't be another cash-sink for the brand. It needs a financial success more than ever.

"We have to find a solution that makes sense economically," Cravero said. "We can’t wait 10 years to see results."

The new stance on the Giulia also fits well with recent statements from Alfa that the U.S. simply isn't ready for the MiTo.

Large sedans typically have more headroom in their price, meaning more profitability per unit sold compared to small cars like the MiTo. In the currently still-depressed market and with the American intolerance for pricey small cars, the Giulia intro may be the smartest decision.

The question then becomes: how do Chrysler and Alfa Romeo build the car to share a platform while maintaining sufficiently independent brand identities while also being competitive in their segments and profitable at the same time?
Alfa Romeo Mi.To Official debut
Alfa Romeo Milano spy shots

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HI-RES GALLERY: 2010 alfa romeo milano spy shots 004




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Comments (6)

  1. ma_NoNameDenton avatar NoNameDenton Posted: 8/4/2009 2:16pm PDT

    Interesting choice, let's see if that idea pays off
     
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  2. ma_btlh2oguy avatar btlh2oguy Posted: 8/4/2009 2:41pm PDT

    Coulda, Woulda, Lets get this "will they" conjecture over with.
    It's almost as irritating as GM dragging their feet on Opels freedom.
     
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  3. ma_Mike avatar Mike Posted: 8/4/2009 3:23pm PDT

    I just hope it doesn't look too different from the current 159. That's the Alfa styling I love, that's the Alfa car I want, not some badge-engineered Chrysler 300.
     
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  4. ma_bepsf avatar bepsf Posted: 8/4/2009 4:08pm PDT

    I agree w/ Mike - I love the 159 as well as it's predecessor, the 156.

    They could bring over the 159 sedan, sportwagon and Brera today and they would sell on the coasts if properly marketed and priced as a sporty Italian-flavored alternative to VW Passat/Jetta, Nissan Altima and Acura TSX rather than as a BMW 3-Series/Audi A4 substitute.
     
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  5. ma_mitzo avatar mitzo Posted: 8/4/2009 5:29pm PDT

    Sigh. I guess lack of choice is profitable. Here in Canada a hatch would sell briskly, but we are welded to the US market in the eyes of almost every manufacturer.
     
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  6. ma_Saabaru5 avatar Saabaru5 Posted: 8/7/2009 8:39am PDT

    Beautiful car! This would be great to have as an option, assuming it didn't change too much on it's way to our showrooms.
     
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