For about two decades Alfa Romeo had to do a lot of trade on good will and badge history. Customers with rose tinted glasses and a desire to reminisce about Alfa of old dutifully went into dealerships and walked out with what were largely rebadged Fiats. It was a particular low point for an illustrious marque synonymous with driving Nirvana, but in 2015 Alfa Romeo was finally given the financial freedom to reclaim its position as the enthusiast’s choice. So why are Alfa soon to kill it?
The Alfa Romeo Giulia arrived on the scene as a beautiful saloon car dripping with Italian appeal. It was curvaceous, characterful and beautifully proportioned. However, the crowning glory was the Quadrifoglio model that featured a gurgling twin-turbocharged V6 developed with the help of ex-Ferrari engineers. This was it. An Alfa Romeo that didn’t just look the part, but drove like a true Alfa Romeo.
It didn’t take long for the Quadrifoglio to be put up against the German establishment, namely the Mercedes-AMG C63, Audi RS4 and BMW M3. While all are commendable, the almost universal verdict was that the Alfa, despite its traditional flaws, was the most thrilling of the bunch to drive. Even the brand-new M3 that has just launched has failed to remove the Italian’s crown. It’s a wonderfully involving and thrilling drive that really put the cat amongst the pigeons.
As brilliant as the Quadrifoglio and wider Giulia range is to drive, and all of the sensational press it received, that hasn’t translated into the strongest of sales. The past few years have seen a steady decline after the initial hype, and poor residual values leading to many buyers waiting for used cars instead. It’s a crying shame, but that’s not even the core reason for the Giulia’s inevitable funeral.
There has been a huge shift in the boardroom for Alfa’s parent company FCA as it merged with PSA to forma super auto manufacturer now known as Stellantis. The idea is that the fusion of the many brands will bring better economies of scale and profitability to the marques within the portfolio. Technology can be shared and in theory the average quality of each car should become more competitive. However, how much application does the wider group now have for a rear-wheel drive V6 sports saloon platform that has falling sales in arguably its most alluring form?
It has been confirmed by Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato in numerous Italian reports that the current Giorgio platform underpinning Stelvio and Giulia will not live on. Instead there will be. anew global platform that also aims to incorporated some EV tech. While that doesn’t mean there won’t ever be another Giulia – although poor sales do not help its case – it’s safe to say that the next car will be very different. Alfa Romeo’s immediate focus is to boost overall sales volume by introducing its compact SUV, the Tonale.
A recent facelift for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio suggest there’s a bit of life in it yet, but we should treat the exotic GTA as a true swan song.
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Keyword: Why Alfa Romeo will kill-off its hero car