According to reports from Italy, the new Alfa Giulietta hatchback has just about reached its 2010 sales targets of 40,000 vehicles, selling 39,800 units by year’s end. It’s encouraging news for the model itself, but also the brand as it might go some way to mollifying Sergio Marchionne’s hard stance on the brand so far. The sales refer to the European market alone, as the Giulietta isn’t available on the American or Asian car markets yet, with a particular success on the German market where the brand has grown 113.5 percent. Could that make a Volkswagen purchase of Alfa Romeo even more appetising…? Despite the good news, 2011 should prove to be a tough year for the Giulietta with targets of 100,000 sales set. Apart from the MiTo, it’s virtually Alfa’s only real offering at the moment and we doubt one model can carry the brand, so here’s hoping for a sports Alfa to turn up sometime soon.

Source | Autoblog.it

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According to reports the Chrysler 200 could come to Europe as the Lancia Flavia. We had originally reported on the possibility of the Chrysler 200 in Europe as a fleet car, and now it looks like it could be rebadged as a Lancia model, bearing the name Flavia in statements from Sergio Marchionne, Fiat-Chrysler CEO.

Apparently Marchionne has said: “The Chrysler 200, cabrio included, will come to Europe under the Lancia brand and Flavia is a good proposal for a name.” According to the guys at Autoblog.it, the name is a joke at this stage (and we’re hoping they’re right). The Chrysler 300C will go on show at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show under the Lancia badge, and we could see the Chrysler 200 do the same.

Apparently the 300C could take on the historic name Thema under the Lancia brand, and a new Phedra is likely to appear as the European take on the Grand Voyager. The 200 sedan should only become a transition model as a new generation based on a Fiat platform should be available in 2013.

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“Let’s take Alfa Romeo, which is strategic at the moment. Today, we talk about whether Fiat should sell Alfa or not…. symbol of sports style. We took a small sports car, the MiTo, and put it to the test on the track, comparing it to two competitors, one of which was Citroen. See how it goes on a track run….”

These are the opening words to the defamatory ‘test’ for which Fiat is suing the Italian television program, Annozero. It’s traditionally a political program, with no business testing cars and so the context in which the Alfa MiTo, model from an Italian brand that evokes passion in the country, was tested could only be a political one, likely linked to current industry turmoil and controversy surrounding Sergio Marchionne, Fiat CEO.

We’re lost on what Top Gear (mentioned more than once) has got to do with the test, but the commentary continues with phrases such as “just look at the results” and “this is the apple of the eye for Alfa in sports cars - the one that many young people want to buy”. To put the nail in the MiTo coffin comes: “in our race test, the Mini arrives first, the Citroen second and the MiTo last. You’ll say we’re deaf partisans who’ve got problems with Marchionne.” Quite.

In true Italian style, polemics then ensue but the whole point of the test drive and the broadcast seems to be none other than that the MiTo, modern Alfa sports symbol car (although we’d debate this one), doesn’t go as fast as a Mini or the Citroen DS3 on a wet track in what looks like sleet. Fiat says that the “test” and broadcast was “highly denigratory and damaging to the image and the honour of the company, its products and its workers”….

Video | Autoblog.it

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Among many ifs and buts, more rumours have emerged that Volkswagen would be interested in buying the Alfa Romeo brand, despite it apparently not being for sale right now. According to Automotive News Europe, top executives at VW (remaining anonymous) have said that the German company would be seriously interested in an Alfa purchase, despite previous denials of Alfa wanting to sell which came from another anonymous executive at the Italian company.

At the moment, it looks like a lot of mud stirring with no real foundation, although we would not be surprised to see this rumour evolve into something more. There are a couple of interesting issues at stake that need to be considered. Firstly, the main reason behind Volkswagen’s interest in buying Alfa Romeo to be cited so far, is that the purchase would go some way to helping VW’s plan to become the world’s number one car manufacturer, dethroning Toyota of its current position.

We have our doubts that this is the main, and certainly not the only reason. Surely Volkswagen would have a couple of other savvy motives up its sleeve before outlaying what we would imagine to be a significant sum to purchase Alfa. The cited reason suggests more vanity than we’re willing to attribute to Volkswagen’s plans for world domination, and if the stories of Alfa on struggle street right now are to be believed, the German company certainly wouldn’t be purchasing a healthy sales guarantee. So what are the other business interests at the heart of the rumour?

Continue reading: Analysis: Volkswagen takeover of not-for-sale Alfa Romeo

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The Italians are not enjoying this rumour at all: Volkswagen could be looking at a purchase of Alfa Romeo if Fiat were to sell the struggling brand. Italy’s honeymoon with Sergio Marchionne would be well and truly over if the the Fiat CEO were to pass such a well-loved brand into the hands of the German VW Group, proving that the Germans are happy to tap the heritage and potential of a brand that the Italians either can’t or won’t. While on the basis of patriotism and nostalgia, the Italians are irked at the rumour, on the basis of car quality and bringing the brand back to life, there is more than one potential customer for a VW-built Alfa. But we’re getting ahead of ourselves - let’s look at the rumour in its detail.

According to Quattroruote magazine and Autoblog.it, VW design head Walter de Silva, has a soft spot for Alfas and has such has convinced Martin Winterkorn that if Alfa were to come up for sale, VW should buy. To this end, a project is already in place to quietly plan a takeover proposition which at this stage includes a one-billion euro investment. Given what is apparently a passion for Alfa design, de Silva has in mind already about eight models for Alfa, along with designs and drawings.

If this were true, things are already well underway at Volkswagen to buy Alfa Romeo without the Italian brand actually going on sale. But a stitch in time saves nine and despite the fear that Alfa models could start to take on German design characteristics - steady but a bit boring - could it be exactly what Alfa needs? We would need to do a double-take on the Alfa brand all of sudden becoming German, but if the rumour is to be believed things are more detailed than Volkswagen pipe dreams of owning a piece of history. Read on for the details.

Continue reading: Volkswagen to purchase Alfa Romeo: Marchionne to sell to Germans?

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The Alfa Giulietta in white or the Alfa Giulietta in red….? There was never any doubt that the Alfa Giulietta would be a sexy car at the Geneva show, and the 147 replacement looks like it could hold its own among the Giulietta competition, aesthetically at least. The big question is whether it will be enough for Sergio Marchionne. In a year marking 100 years of Alfa the main goal is to be a crowd pleaser, and sell while you’re at it.

The Alfa Giulietta comes with some impressive engine options - the new 1.4-litre Multiair with 170 hp, for example, or the 1.4 T-Jet with 120 hp. But if you want the superfast, sports model in true Alfa Romeo tradition, you’ve just got to go for the Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde, with its four-cylinder engine with 235 hp. It has a top speed of 242 km/hr and can reach 100 km/hr in 6.8 seconds. Check her out in these lovely Giulietta live pics.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta live at Geneva

Continue reading: Alfa Romeo Giulietta live pics from Geneva Motor Show

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The Italians are impatient to see what the next Abarth Punto Evo will look like, perhaps something like the rendering above or the Abarth Grande Punto after the jump. It is only a question of when the new Abarth Punto will be presented, as Sergio Marchionne has already confirmed the Abarth models for 2010: the Punto Evo, the 500C and perhaps even a 500 TC.

The Abarth Punto Evo is sure to have the new Multiair engine with 170 hp, meaning in the future the EsseEsse model will have 200 hp. The 500 TC stands for “Turismo Competizione” and was originally the name given to race cars based on street-legal models.

The big question is why Abarth should focus on just two models and get extreme handling out of the A and B segments represented by the Fiat 500 and Fiat Punto Evo. Frustrated with these tuned versions and lack of style, some Italians are asking where Alfa Romeo is in all this. Alfa represents a true, stylish sports brand with plenty of pedigree, and the Italians want to know why Abarth should be the only brand representing Fiat in the world of racing.

Perhaps Sergio Marchionne knows something we don’t about Alfa Romeo and its future, or perhaps we should wait a little longer and see what comes out of the Alfa-Abarth-Maserati mix. Whatever the case, there’s more than one Fiat/Alfa Romeo fan peeved that the 500 and Punto get the tuned treatment when money could be invested seriously in Alfa Romeo sports style, too. As one comment on Autoblog.it reads: “You can’t ever be a passionate fan of cars until you’ve got yourself an Alfa Romeo.”

Source | Autoblog.it and Caradisiac via Autoblog.com

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For the first time in Fiat’s 111-year history, Italy is no longer the brand’s number one market. The local market has been overtaken by Brazil, purchasing 750,000 cars a year to Italy’s 722,000. If any evidence was needed as to Brazil’s “emerging” market status, the stats speak for themselves. Italy’s purchases decreased by 0.5 percent, while Brazil’s increased by 12.6 percent.

That’s a big number which has left even CEO Sergio Marchionne surprised (figures of this kind were expected for Brazil, but further down the track). What’s more, Fiat seems to be on a winning formula for this South American market, taking out the number one spot for car manufacturers, too. Volkswagen follows, selling 695,395 vehicles and General Motors trails behind a little at 610,836 sales.

The results are not due to one particular model, but a combination of Fiat’s hard work over a number of years to build their presence in the Brazilian market, providing vehicles that customers want to buy, and new car tax incentives from the Brazilian government. By comparison, the Italian car market is likely to experience a slight decrease this year, which could get very costly if the government chooses not to continue scrappage schemes.

Source | Autoblog.it

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These spy shots of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta would seem to confirm the style of the interior, which we have seen from other shots collected from the internet. Official pics of the Alfa Giulietta were already released some time back, but testing is still continuing with slight camouflage, before the unveiling at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

These are turbulent times for Alfa Romeo and a lot rests on the Giulietta being a success for the brand in the midst of a review. The Alfa Giulietta interior had been planned, but among the rather chaotic release of the first pics, the official interior became unofficial as Alfa planned to modify it and block the official photos being released, apparently on specific request of Sergio Marchionne.

The Giulietta interior is quite similar to those unofficial first pics, with some modifications being made to the central compartment of the dash. In the place of the integrated radio in the same colour as the rest of the interior, we now see a standard space that looks set to accommodate an audio system based on customer choice. Or, we could also be looking at an entry-level Giulietta where the space originally dedicated to the navigation unit has been converted into a storage spot. Other aspects of the interior, including the shape of the air conditioning vents, the steering wheel and the gear level now seem confirmed.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta spy shots

Continue reading: Alfa Romeo Giulietta spy pics interior

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The Alfa Giulietta could be the car that saves Alfa Romeo in the eyes of CEO Sergio Marchionne, unimpressed by the performance of the brand. And it’s nothing less than we’d expect from sensual Alfa design, and this fast cut video shows it from all angles. Try to ignore the subtitles, or you’ll miss the look of the car (fabulous in white).

Debuting at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, the Alfa Giulietta will have a turbocharged 1.4-litre petrol engine with 120 hp, though the more exciting 1.4 Multiair will also be available from the launch date, with 170 hp. There will be a 1.6-litre JTDM with 105 hp and a 2.0 JDTM with 170 hp. For those wanting the full Alfa power job, a Quadrifoglio Verde version should also be produced, with 235 hp.

Continue reading: Alfa Romeo Giulietta video

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As we wait for official photos of the new Alfa Giulietta (the name is still unconfirmed but it appears that Alfa Romeo will no longer use the “Milano” name previously chosen), whose debut was postponed at the last minute, you might think the excitement surrounding the new model would mean parent group Fiat was happy about Alfa Romeo fortunes. Things appear quite the opposite though, with Sergio Marchionne personally ordering a review of brand strategy and calling into question future investments already planned for new models.

Alfa Romeo is facing a full product freeze to arrest declining sales, or a revamp of its line using Chrysler-based models. While the new Alfa MiTo has been a fresh and successful models so far for the brand, it hasn’t been enough to plug the hole created by ageing models and delayed plans for new cars.

The new Alfa Milano, now Giulietta most likely, should have proved to be a key turning point for the brand but its debut was again delayed (we should see the official pics tomorrow). The new car will still be presented to the market and so far interest has been positive. It’s what happens after the MiTo and this 147 replacement that’s important.

Alfa is looking at no investments in new models after the Giulietta debut, making it and the MiTo the only new models in the range, as sales of the 159, Brera coupe, Spider and GT Coupe will continue. That would shelve plans for the new Alfa Giulia, or 159 replacement. The alternative is to use the new alliance with Chrysler to share platforms and build new sedan models. Whichever they choose, it appears that Marchionne is looking for a complete turn-around in the brand, and future Fiat Group investment will depend on it.

Source | Automotive News

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According to reports, Daimler head Dieter Zetsche has been advising Sergio Marchionne on what to do with the Chrysler brand and how to handle the Fiat-Chrysler merger. Known also as having destroyed the Chrysler brand, at least to Americans, the guys at Autoblog.com are telling Marchionne to do exactly the opposite of whatever Zetsche is telling him.

We think Marchionne is probably safe, as we don’t see him as the kind of guy up for advice from someone who was the head of a company that went disastrously bankrupt. We’ve reported on some of the reservations regarding the new Fiat-Chrysler relationship, but frankly, things are looking better than what they did when it was Daimler-Chrysler “merger of equals” time.

Zetsche has apparently happened upon the fact that the US market likes big cars, and that Fiat has only promised smaller cars and fuel efficient technology. We had thought of this too, along with many others in the business (it doesn’t take a former CEO to figure that out, after all) but we’re feeling quite positive about future Lancia-Chrysler sedan designs, as the Lancia Thesis renderings indicate.

Continue reading: Dieter Zetsche gives advice to Sergio Marchionne

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