Alfasud ready to return

All good things come to those who wait - and here's the proof! Fans of the legendary Alfasud have been killing time for more than 23 years, but the delay for the car's spiritual successor will soon come to an end.

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New small Alfa Romeo will use Grande Punto underpinnings

By Ross Pinnock

28th March 2006

Our sources say Alfa Romeo is set to unveil an all-new small model at the Paris Motor Show in October. It will preview a future production car based on Fiat Grande Punto underpinnings, and our exclusive image shows what's in store for the front-wheel-drive hatch.

Sitting below the 147 in the Italian firm's line-up, the newcomer will feature the now-trademark nose treatment seen on the 159 saloon and Brera coupé. Its shield-shaped grille will be flanked by a trio of projector-style headlights. A range of engines could feature under the bonnet, including the brand's JTD diesel and direct-injection petrol units. But there's no official word on when the small hatch will appear, and it is not yet clear what badge it will wear.

Despite being the first small family car to bring outstanding handling to the masses, the original marked the end of an era for Alfa purists. Not only was it the firm's first-ever front-wheel-drive model, but it was built in Southern Italy (hence the name) and plagued by rust and reliability problems.