Nov 18, 2016 7:12:42 PM
- CGX car nut
- Rennteam Master
- Loc: NWI , United States
- Posts: 5196, Gallery
- Registered on: Aug 17, 2011
- Reply to: ISUK
Re: Alfa Stelvio
ISUK:CGX car nut:It is a Ferrari derived V6. Once one factors in the Chrysler, Dodge, and other undesirable components, why bother.
In the States, the Alfa dealer network is weak, as many Fiat dealers signed onboard early only to have no salable product either from Fiat or Alfa. Many dealerships, including the one in downtown Chicago, are shuttered.
You can't have read up on the engineering behind these new Alfa's. These are not parts bin models using other FCA brands. Both the Giula and the Stelvio are built on a brand new platform called Giorgio which shares nothing with Chrysler or Dodge. The interiors are unique to the Alfa models and supplied by Faurecia who also supply to both BMW and the whole VW group. The suspension designs are new as well.
If you consider just how far behind the market leaders Alfa has fallen in the last 10 -15 years in terms of both production volumes and the market segments they had retreated into it is clear that they have achieved an almost miraculous turn round in the very short gestation time taken to create a whole new engineering team and get the Giulia from drawing board to market . For the car to be regarded out of the starting blocks by the motoring media as being only slightly behind the likes of Audi, BMW and Mercedes, who don't forget have honed their small saloon models over multiple generations stretching back unbroken over 3 to 4 decades and through literally millions of examples built, is a very great achievement. The Giulia QF has actually beaten the M3 in a number of magazine comparisons now. It takes time to build a strong dealer network so it won't be achieved overnight but as long as the dealers in key US states perform to a good standard then the new cars will likely be a success.
I'm happy to see a famous and important brand back in the game and finally offering competitive products that will surely only improve with time and ongoing development. Hopefully the Stelvio will become a strong seller and allow FCA to continue to invest in the Alfa model range renaissance. It would be great to see modern rear drive Gtv and Spider models brought back as competition for the TT and base 718 models.
The same was said about Maserati too and those models share many components with other FCA models, notably those from Chrysler and Dodge. Parts sharing is essential for profitability and if every component is new, and not shared with other models, then FCA will have some real issues with profitability as component pricing is based on volume.
It took Volkswagen years and billions upon billions of Marks/Euros to elevate Audi into the premium range. FCA doesn't have the capital nor the expertise, especially with Marchionne as tyrant, to move the needle with Alfa Romeo. This is a tired retread of what he tried to do, and failed, with Maserati. Marchionne is diverting scarce free cash flow from Jeep, its most profitable business unit, and diverting it to his follies.