New Alfa 4C sports car and Giulietta hatchback in the pipeline
Alfa is weighing-up a complete rethink for the 4C sports car, while new Giulietta hatchback replacement is also on the way
Alfa Romeo bosses have revealed plans are in place for a new VW Golf rival and replacement for the 4C coupe, two cars that will help complete Alfa Romeo’s new generation of products.
The Italian brand is tackling segments that have the biggest global appeal and largest profit margins first; a new Audi Q7 rival will be the next new model for Alfa and will usher in new mild hybrid tech for the carmaker.
Speaking about the further extension of Alfa’s product portfolio, the brand’s chief technical officer Roberto Fedeli, said: “In order to complete the Alfa range of products we need another couple of pillars – something in the C-Segment and then obviously a sporty product, a very sporty product”.
Discussions are still ongoing about the new hatchback and a date has not yet been put on its arrival, but it’s likely to use a shortened version of the Giulia saloon’s platform. The biggest problem Alfa has with the model is making it profitable as that segment is “a very local market and not a global one”, meaning, “it’s very difficult to make a profit”, according to Fedeli.
At the same time Fedeli also expressed it was essential that Alfa Romeo has a competitive sports car. The brand will first update the current 4C coupe and spider before deciding whether to completely reinvent the 4C with a new engine and chassis architecture.
“Being in the market with that kind of car is not a choice, we have to do it. We have to have a pure sporty car,” he told us. “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."
Whichever direction Alfa chooses with the 4C replacement it will not be fitted with a manual gearbox. Fedeli confirmed during his time at Ferrari a new manual gearbox for the California was developed and only two were sold globally during the car’s lifetime.
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