Alfa Romeo's Giulietta won't be coming to the U.S. in its native form, but it may be coming in Dodge garb--or at least a Fiat-derived Dodge version of the same platform will be. But we'll have to wait until the end of 2011 to see it.
If you're not familiar with the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it's a prime example of why Alfa Romeo is known for styling beautfiul mass-market cars. The muscular lines, elegant proportions, and tasteful details all match up to produce a car that's worthy of our envy. But we won't likely see anything that looks quite like it.
Instead we'll get the car's mechanical underpinnings, mated to a new compact sedan body. According to Chrysler/Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne, the first Fiat-based sedan in the U.S. will be a Dodge based on the same Compact Wide architecture that underpins the Giulietta. It will arrive in late 2011 and promises 40 mpg on the highway in a high-mileage variant.
As we already know, Fiat's first car in the U.S. will wear Fiat badges in the form of the 500 due at the end of this year or in January, 2011. Its 1.4-liter Multiar engine, built in Michigan, will mark the first of the milestones mandated by the government for Fiat to up its share of Chrysler from 20 to 35 percent. The arrival of the new Compact Wide Fiat-based Dodge sedan will be the second. The final step will come with international distribution of Chrysler products, likely first in Latin America. Each milestone grants Fiat the right to increase its share in Chrysler by five percent.
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