ALFA ROMEO

BRAND WANTED TO BRING BACK TWO KNOWLEDGE MODELS
The future Alfa Romeo MiTo and Giulietta will not have the current 3-door hatchback coupe configuration and are expected to turn into SUVs, said FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne on the occasion of the Geneva Motor Show.Marchionne told the British AutoExpress that the two subcompacts of the Italian brand, which already carry a few years in the back, should turn into mini SUVs or be discontinued. "If there is an Alfa Romeo MiTo and a Giulietta in the future, I do not think it will be in its current form. The market for three-door models is clearly falling and its practicality is greatly reduced, "said FCA Group CEO Fiat Chrysler.The solution could be the conversion of MiTo and Giulietta into mini SUVs, built on the modular platform that is also used by the Fiat 500X and the Jeep Renegade.Marchionne is betting on the re-launch of Alfa Romeo as Premium brand and wants to move it away from the high volume segments where the general brands dominate. "The new Alfa Romeo is defined by the 4C, Giulia and Stelvio models and that is what we are focusing on," he explains, adding that "Giulietta and MiTo are good cars, but they are not at the level of Giulia and Stelvio."For an Alfa Romeo that wants to recover the global premium brand image, the smaller models seem to have no sense in the future. "The Giulietta and MiTo still sell well, but they are models designed for Europe. We do not sell them in the US or China. "The option to retrieve names for new SUV-style models, with a more premium positioning than conventional hatchbacks and greater acceptance in the American and Chinese markets, could be the solution.On 1 June, the FCA Group will unveil its strategic plan for the coming years. It will be when we will know what future will be reserved for MiTo and Giulietta. Among the news may be the confirmation of a new and larger Alfa Romeo SUV, above the Stelvio, with the same platform as the Maserati Levante, to compete directly with the BMW X5, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLE and Volvo XC90.

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