ALFA PONDERS ENTRY-LEVEL SUV
A new entry-level Alfa Romeo is being evaluated to sit below the Giulietta and upcoming Tonale, the brand’s Europe boss, Roberta Zerbi, has revealed.
The firm has axed the Mito supermini and did not include a replacement for that model as part of its fiveyear plan revealed last June.
But when asked about a new entry-level model at Geneva, Zerbi said: “We are looking below what we have and above what we have – that is all I will say.”
Zerbi refused to elaborate further, but said: “If we want to hit our sales target of 400,000 cars a year, we need an entry-level model. I am not talking about another Mito, but what it is we will see.”
The firm could develop a hatchback to sit below the Giulietta, which Zerbi confirmed would be replaced, a compact SUV to sit below the Tonale, or a crossover with all the merits of a high-riding hatchback.
The final option would be the most likely choice for Alfa. SUVS and crossovers are rising in popularity and able to command bigger margins in the premium market, and the firm would be able to use architecture from other FCA Group firms including Jeep.
At present, Alfa sells around 150,000 cars per year, although former boss Sergio Marchionne once set a target of 500,000 sales by 2014, which was then put back to 2020.
The larger model referred to by Zerbi is believed to be a stretched Stelvio, possibly able to carry up to seven passengers in a bid to woo buyers in China and the US. Alfa’s five-year business plan included both a long-wheelbase version of the Stelvio and a separate ‘e-segment’ large SUV.