A triangular grille dominates the car’s front end, with a slightly redesigned Alfa Romeo badge in the center and wide headlights along the sides.
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The iconic Italian auto maker revealed its critically-important – and long delayed – new Giulia sedan as part of a lavish 105th birthday celebration in Milan overnight, promising the four-door will re-ignite passion for the brand and re-position it as a genuine luxury and performance rival to the German triumvirate of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
These road blocks are likely to stymie Marchionne’s hope that the company will sell around 400,000 Alfas in 2018, up from 68,000 in 2014.
“Alfa Romeo is our Turandot”, commented Marchionne during the event, referring to the famous opera of Giacomo Puccini, which was only completed by Franco Alfano.
Alfa Romeo engineers have utilized ultra-light materials extensively throughout the new Giulia.
Each will be built to meet a five-point criteria: innovative engines, 50/50 weight distribution, advanced technical solutions, best-in-class power-to-weight ratios, and distinctive Italian design.
But what do you think of the Giulia?
Perhaps reflecting doubts over his ability to fund his 48-billion-euro ($54 billion) turnaround plan for FCA, Marchionne has recently stepped up a campaign to find a merger partner, and targeted General Motors (GM) in particular. There will also be a V6 engine also “specially developed for Alfa Romeo”, based on the mill of the rumored Ferrari Dino.
Although there will be several versions of the vehicle with varying degrees of hotness, it was the top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio edition that was presented to the press this week in Italy.
Trial production of the Giulia has already begun but right-hand drive cars won’t be ready for Australia until the third quarter of 2016 and there is no confirmation yet of any models below the QV flagship.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia should arrive in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and other GCC countries at some point next year. Although there are no images, Alfa says the driver’s position was cut as a fabric with a diagonal tunnel, while the instruments and dashboard have been created to convey the impression of a tailor-made suit.
“These are not cars to be driven, but to drive”, Wester said.
In recent years, however, tumultuous times fell upon the marque, and besides a few exceptions, they were reduced to making just two hatchbacks for the last decade or so, neither of which were available in the US.
The Guilia is coming the USA market next year, with specifics to be announced closer to the on-sale date.
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