News just in from ‘Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ stating that they will developing a new line of rear-wheel-drive sedans and sports utility vehicles for Alfa Romeo. There will also be a number of high-end model that will be fitted with engines developed by sister brand Ferrari but we suppose the real engine donor will be Maserati starting with this V6 engine used in the all new Ghibli (pictured above). The new models will be rolled out in 2016. Since Fiat chief executive Sergio Marchionne took over the top post in 2004, annual deliveries at Alfa Romeo dropped 56% to just 74,000 cars.
Marchionne dropped in 2012 a sales target for Alfa Romeo by 40%, no thanks to a spending freeze in Europe that delayed the launch of new models. Now armed with more resources from Chrysler and a recovering European demand, Fiat could not afford to delay plans for its sporty brand. Giuseppe Berta, a professor at Bocconi University and former chief of Fiat’s archives, remarked this is the last chance for Alfa Romeo, adding that Marchionne’s “bet is a long shot.”
He added that to beat the German luxury brands, Marchionne needs to make Alfa unique and this come with the announcement of using Ferrari engines and Italian design. Also, the current versions of Alfa Romeo MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks, which accounted for 99% of deliveries in 2013 will be revamped at the soonest.
