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The last few years, not to say decades, have not been easy for fans of Italian cars. Fiat only concentrates on small cars like the 500 and now offers countless derivatives. The successful panda joins them - just as colorfully mixed in its range. Panda and 500, 500 and Panda.
Lancia is clinically dead and probably the most emotional brand, Alfa Romeo, has been in a coma with only two models for years. The Alfa Romeo 4C you can't really count as exotic - hardly any deliveries in Germany - and even fans can't understand the last, more or less hidden, price increase. Mito and Giulietta have been on the market almost unchanged for years and are only sold in homeopathic units by German Alfa Romeo dealers. The advantage of the Alfa Romeo customer? He is not one “among many”, Alfa dealers and customers are likely to be one big family.
It has often been said that the beautiful Italian diva should be brought out of the vegetative state. June 24, 2015 had long been announced as the day of the Italian Renaissance. Theatrical as otherwise known only from “Italian football” - here the mean Azzuri in the opponent's penalty area goes down dramatically with the slightest touch - the revelation of the Alfa Romeo future took place in the newly renovated “Museo Storico”.
As the first model of the new generation, even with a modified Alfa logo, a completely redesigned mid-range sedan with the beautiful name "Giulia" is supposed to revive the brand. Less avant-garde in design than the 159, which died early, less dramatic than the 155. Instead, with a lot of BMW and Infiniti style in Italian-American sheet metal.
Too good to come true?
With a power-to-weight ratio of just three kilograms per horsepower, Alfa wants to be perceived as a sporty premium brand again. The top model is even said to have a 6-cylinder turbo engine with 510 hp co-developed by Ferrari, acceleration values of 3,9 seconds for the sprint from a standing start to 100 km / h are impressive even on paper.
Well, if you look at the stability and reliability of ordinary Alfa models (re-badged Fiat) of the last few years, you will have to see whether Alfa Romeo still has to invest some work in improving quality - or whether this condition is simply a contribution to maintenance the familiar atmosphere between dealer (workshop) and customer is maintained.
Also the idea that with the new Giulia you are facing the established German premium competition of 3 Series BMW, Audi A4 and Mercedes-Benz C-Class aims, urges caution when predicting the future. In this segment, mainly determined by fleet registrations, completely different brands have got more than just scratches in the paintwork.
Financial fiasco Fiat
Don't sell cars, but sponsored sports. Another tactic. The sport sponsorship of Eintracht Frankfurt cost the German Alfisti a proud 20 million euros in three years - if you apply that to the Alfa Romeo models sold during this period, then that would - without the logo on the Eintracht jersey - 1.500 € additional contribution margin, per vehicle. Who did this commitment help in the end? Probably not the Alfa Romeo dealers, but well, who needs customers when they can refinance football clubs?
Allegedly around 5 billion euros are available for the renovation of the almost extinct traditional brand. The dealer network of currently 140 dealers is also to be reconsidered for the realignment. A merger of the Jeep and Alfa Romeo brands as premium brands of the Fiat Group is also possible. However, the planned sales of 400.000 Alfa Romeo units in three years, around eight times as many vehicles as currently, is a sporting goal. And the doubts are justified. Whether you bring the Alfa Romeo brand up to speed as well as the envisaged 510 hp Ferrari engine or whether it was just dreams that burst in the sun like soap bubbles, you will see. But whatever it is, you can still dream of success - just as italophile car fans have been dreaming of the new Giulia since today.