A few years ago you could walk into an Alfa showroom (run by Sime Darby Malaysia) to buy a selection of sexy looking Alfa coupes like the Brera or Spider, a sedan the 159 or a compact hatchback, the Mito. This year, the selection has been shrunk to just the Giulietta hot hatch. This disappointing showroom activity is due to many reasons but the biggest issue being the change in brand guardianship for Alfa Romeo in Malaysia. Very soon, Sime Darby Malaysia will no longer be handling the brand and a new guardian will be revealed. Meanwhile, the Alfa Romeo stable of cars from the factory are as follows until further information from Italy (yes they have released information promising half a dozen or more new models to come…….but we have not seen even a spy picture to date).
Alfa MiTo
The 2014 Alfa Romeo MiTo features higher specification, revised interiors, subtle styling enhancements and even more advanced technologies, including the Uconnect™ five-inch, colour, touch-screen infotainment system as standard equipment and the addition of the new 105hp TwinAir engine to the range.
Externally the 2014 Alfa Romeo MiTo benefits from a new, chromed front grille; titanium grey headlamp and tail lamp surrounds; tinted rear windows and a sports rear bumper, as well as a revised colour palette that now includes a new “Matte Magnesio Grey” finish.
Alfa Giulietta
The 2014 Alfa Romeo Giulietta sports a renewed style, new engines and more technological content than ever before. The styling revisions for 2014 have been carefully considered, with a new front grille design; revised front fog light bezels; new 16-, 17- and 18-inch alloy wheel designs and new exterior colours (Luna Pearl, Cobalto Blue and Metallo Bronze) to further enhance its appeal.
The interior of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta benefits from more extensive revisions: The standard Uconnect™ multimedia system takes pride of place in the redesigned, high-quality dashboard, with the associated USB/Aux ports now relocated to a more convenient position in the centre console.
Alfa Romeo 4C
Designed and engineered by Alfa Romeo and built at the Maserati plant in Modena, the mid-engined Alfa Romeo 4C employs the latest technologies of Alfa Romeo’s newest models: The new, all-aluminium 1750 Turbo Petrol engine; the latest-generation “ALFA TCT” dry twin clutch transmission and the Alfa D.N.A. driving mode selector – now with a new “Race” mode.
Carbon-fibre was chosen for the one-piece monocoque due its high levels of structural rigidity and exceptionally low weight – just 65kg – and is built using sophisticated Formula 1-derived technologies, evolved especially for Alfa Romeo for series production of up to 1,000 units per year. SMC (Sheet Moulding Compound), which is lighter than both steel and aluminium, is used for the bodywork while even the thickness of the glass has been slimmed down by 15% to help reduce the Alfa Romeo 4C’s overall weight.
Less than 4m in length and with a wheelbase of 2.38m, the Alfa Romeo 4C’s compact shape accentuates its remarkable agility: With a dry weight of 895kg and a 40:60 front-to-rear weight distribution, the Alfa Romeo 4C is capable of generating 1.1g of lateral acceleration and in excess of 1.2g of deceleration force.
