Grant:

Really disappointed at how poor the little Alfa seems heart

Why are you surprise?  Fiat group, especially Alfa-Romeo, is living off its mystic, and there is a significant disconnect between that image and the real world.  Fiat, separate from Ferrari, and one could possible include Maserati, is struggling to produce world-class product with associated levels of profitability.  See, for example, the flubbed Chrysler launches, Dodge Dart and Jeep Cherokee, under Fiat's guidance.