Plan change again
A leaked official document has shown yet another upgrade to Alfa Romeo’s new model roll-out plan. The document reveals the experienced Italian comeback maker will boost its new model line-up to seven, even as it kills the unloved, ill-handling MiTo three-door hatchback.
While that’s scant reward for a model that basically kept the lights on in Alfa showrooms for years, the flip side will be a full range of three SUVs by 2020, including an extra one to sit above the keenly anticipated Stelvio.
The mid-sized Stelvio is due to make its public debut at the Los Angeles Motor Show in November before heading into showrooms midway through 2017 to compete with Audi’s Q5, Benz’s GLC and BMW’s X3.
Its engineering is closely related to the Giulia sedan, which should finally arrive in SA early next year, and was developed simultaneously by an engineering skunkworks based out of Maserati’s Modena headquarters, rather than Alfa’s base in Torino.
While they share the same all-wheel drive architecture and powertrains, that’s more than we can say for the six additional models Alfa plans to launch within the next four years.
The plan always called for a larger sedan to take on the Audi A6, the Mercedes E-Class and the BMW 5-Series, a hatchback to replace the good-not-brilliant Giulietta, a two-door coupe and a convertible. But Alfa’s researchers have been paying attention to the booming profits being made via Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1 and Benz’s GLA and they’ve made their bosses agree to slip in a smaller SUV beneath the Stelvio, as well as the long-planned larger version.
It’s not the first time BMW and Magna have worked together, with the Canadian-owned contract car maker’s factory having built the BMW X3 and the Mini Countryman and Paceman. Neither will the 5 Series be the only prestige car heading down the Graz production lines, with the flexible factory also producing Mercedes-Benz’s evergreen G-Wagen, along with cars for Jaguar Land Rover.
Magna expects the addition of the mid-sized BMW to boost its production capacity to 200,000 cars a year when it is fully on stream in 2018 and could lead to Magna building or acquiring new production plants worldwide.
Meanwhile, BMW has also dusted off plans for a new 8 Series model — again. Our insiders have seen the model undergoing testing with the company planning for its new 8 to take on the Mercedes S-Class coupe. Like the Merc, the 8 Series will share many of its components with its sedan sibling, in this case the 7 Series, although it is likely to take some styling cues from the 2013 BMW Gran Lusso concept.
Initially it is likely to only be available as a two-door coupe but we are told that discussions are under way about a convertible and a four-door coupe option.
The new 8 Series is set to debut in 2018 and will replace the 6 Series coupe and convertible models which will end production in the same year. The 6 Series is likely to continue though as a four-door Gran Coupe and as a GT model, with BMW killing off the 5 Series GT next year. hot seller when it launches in SA next year. The upgrades to the Q3 are cosmetic, with no changes claimed by Audi for the family of petrol and diesel powertrains.
The most obvious fiddle to the entry-level SUV will be the new front end styling, which will see the headlights linked directly to the restyled grille with a matte grey panel, while the new, large air intakes on either side of the grille will be broken up by a horizontal, body-coloured lip.
There’s a matte silver sump protector, diamond-pattern inserts in the air intakes and grey extensions over the wheel arches.
Before you pull out the credit card while dialling up the local Audi dealer, though, the styling upgrade will mostly benefit the more expensive models, with the more stock models scoring a rather modest visual upgrade.
It’s an indication that Audi will rely on new “lines” or equipment and styling packages instead of a huge range of options to help differentiate its models.
The headliner will be the S Line Competition, an odd name to give something that will never compete in anything other than a sales race. Besides the exterior changes, the S Line Competition will receive power-operated sports