With the Giulia and Stelvio, Alfa Romeo has properly
revitalized its product portfolio. And it's said to have a new, larger
crossover in the pipeline too. But what will come after that? According to the
latest reports, the Italian automaker is looking at two new vehicles: the
Giulietta and the 4C.
The Giulietta could use a shortened version of the
Giulia sedan's platform, which would ostensibly mean it'd be rear-wheel drive, rare territory for C-segment hatchbacks, following similar formula to the BMW 1
Series hatch. But Alfa and FCA would need to ascertain whether a re-entry
into that segment would be worthwhile.
The company has been moving away from unprofitable
small cars, having in recent years discontinued the Dodge Dart, Chrysler 200,
and Lancia Delta. “it’s very difficult to make a profit,” Fedeli said about the
segment.
As for the 4C, an update is in the works – but the
company is looking beyond that to the long-term future of the model. “We make
some small modifications but then we have to decide if we want to install
different engine, or switch the architecture. As you can imagine we have some
options, we are working on more than one option.” However it turns out, Fedeli
says it won't have a manual transmission – which is sad news for purists.
