Alfa Romeo: Development and Technology News
02-24-2003, 11:31 AM
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Alfa Romeo: Development and Technology News
Although Alfa is not seeling in the USA market currently, I thought this is important for 2 reasons:
1. Alfa might sell here eventually (in another 2-3 years)
2. These are some nice looking cars here
New Alfa GT Coupè, world premiere
New Alfa Spider and Alfa GTV
If Alfa re-enters the USA market, the rumor is that this will be its first offering.
The new Alfa 147 TI range
1. Alfa might sell here eventually (in another 2-3 years)
2. These are some nice looking cars here
New Alfa GT Coupè, world premiere
New Alfa Spider and Alfa GTV
If Alfa re-enters the USA market, the rumor is that this will be its first offering.
The new Alfa 147 TI range
02-24-2003, 03:03 PM
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Originally posted by AcuraFan
Any word on engine specs and performance?
Any word on engine specs and performance?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Record-breaking engines
For the past few months, purchasers of an Alfa 156, Sportwagon or 147 have been able to choose versions equipped with the 1.9 JTD 16v Multijet and the 2.0 JTS. At the Geneva Show, these two revolutionary engines are housed in two glass showcases. The former is the precursor of the second generation of Common Rail engines, the 16-valve JTDs with Multijet technology. The 2.0 JTS, on the other hand, is the first direct injection petrol engine with specific power output higher than 60 kW/l (82 bhp/l) and a specific torque of more than 100 Nm/l.
1.9 JTD 16v Multijet 140 bhp
The engine is absolutely revolutionary in this field. Just as the Alfa 156 JTD equipped with the very first Unijet Common Rail turbodiesel was in 1997. The Fiat research department did not rest on its laurels after this achievement but went on to explore the further potential of the Common Rail injection system. This led to the second generation of JTD engines, i.e. the Multijet units.
The 140 bhp 1.9 JTD 16v Multijet offers various benefits. Firstly, lower noise levels as the engine warms up. The reduction ranges from 3 to 6 decibels according to rpm and environmental temperature. Then, great power (103 kW at 4000 rpm) and generous torque (31 kgm at 2000 rpm). Searing performance but low fuel consumption. Not to mention the fact that the new power unit reduces emissions even without sophisticated exhaust gas treatment devices.
The 140 bhp 1.9 JTD 16v Multijet offers various benefits. Firstly, lower noise levels as the engine warms up. The reduction ranges from 3 to 6 decibels according to rpm and environmental temperature. Then, great power (103 kW at 4000 rpm) and generous torque (31 kgm at 2000 rpm). Searing performance but low fuel consumption. Not to mention the fact that the new power unit reduces emissions even without sophisticated exhaust gas treatment devices.
For example, the Common Rail system used on the 1.9 JTD 16v unit includes two new strategies for automatically calibrating and balancing the diesel injected to lower noise and reduce vibration.
Certain components of the engine are brand new: a cylinder head with hydraulic tappets, steel connecting rods and crankshaft, a piston with an internal channel to carry cooling oil to the main and connecting rod bearings that are made out of different material to the previous unit. The intake and exhaust manifolds are also new: the former is made out of a special high-strength material while the latter is made out of pressure cast aluminium.
The electronic EGR and exhaust gas cooling systems are also new; the lubrication circuit features a new oil pump and an external exchanger (air/oil) for oil cooling; the cooling circuit comes with a new coolant pump. This long series of improvements and changes has culminated in a reliable, powerful engine with low fuel consumption.
The Multijet system
The adoption of the Multijet system makes the 1.9 JTD the first second generation Common Rail power unit in the world to equip an Alfa Romeo. It is based on the same Unijet Common Rail principles, i.e. high injection pressure and electronic injector control. But with one difference: the number of injections increases from the current number of two during each engine cycle. In this way, the same amount of diesel is burnt inside the cylinder but in smaller parts to achieve smoother combustion.
The benefits include lower running noise, an emission reduction and an engine output that improves car handling still further.
This result is extremely impressive, particularly in an engine that not only represents a great technological leap forward compared to prechamber diesel engines but is also streets ahead of first generation JTD engines.
The secret of the Multijet engine lies in the control unit that governs the electric injector opening and closure system (and also in the injectors themselves). The crucial part of the engine is the electronic control unit itself, due to its ability to deliver a series of very closely-spaced injections.
Fiat Auto's researchers developed the part (together with the injectors) specially for this application. It is designed to deliver the multiple injections that assure the designer more accurate control of pressures and temperatures developed inside the combustion chamber and also more efficient use of air taken into the cylinders.
This enables further goals to be achieved: quieter combustion, reduced emissions and increased performance.
The Multijet system is underpinned by long years of research. Our engineers began by resolving the problem of limits imposed by the control units. Then they went on to map the benefits they could achieve by plotting different multiple injection sequences (two secondary injections very close to the main injection; one secondary injection not too close to the main injection plus two closely-spaced secondary injections; one secondary injection and then two main injections close together after a certain period etc.) against different engine service conditions; in the idling region; with low loads and low rpm; with high rpm and moderate load; with low rpm and high load etc.
The study revealed the potential of the system and showed that great benefits are achievable in all cases, though these tend to focus on one field or another according to the type of sequence chosen and the engine service area targeted. In some cases, for example, the priority is to reduce start-up times and fume levels, in other cases it is to increase torque and reduce noise while in others it is to reduce emissions and ensure a quieter drive.
And now this research strand has led to the creation of the first Multijet engine: another first for the Fiat Group in the diesel engine field. All this has been possible because we have been building up know-how in this field since 1988, the date that marked the arrival of the Croma TDI, the first direct injection diesel vehicle in the world.
At that time, this represented a true engineering breakthrough that was later adopted by other manufacturers. Direct injection diesel engines offered better performance and lower fuel consumption but failed to resolve the problem of excessive engine noise at low rpms and while speeding up or slowing down. So work began on a more advanced direct injection system and a few years later this led to the development of the Common Rail principle and the Unijet system.
The idea first came from the Zurich University research laboratories where scientists were working on an injection system that had never before been applied to a vehicle, i.e. the Common Rail system. The idea is simple yet elegant: if you continue to push diesel into a tank, the pressure inside will rise and the tank itself will become a hydraulic accumulator (or rail), i.e. a reserve of pressurised fuel ready for use.
Three years later, in 1990, the Unijet system developed by Magneti Marelli, Fiat Research Centre and Elasis on the Common Rail principle entered the pre-production stage. In 1994, when this stage was complete, Fiat Auto started to look for a partner with superlative knowledge of diesel engine injection systems. The final phase of the project, i.e. completion of development and industrial production, was thus eventually entrusted to the Robert Bosch company.
Now our story has reached 1997 and the launch date of the Alfa 156 JTD with its revolutionary turbodiesel engine. Compared to conventional diesel power units, the JTD guarantees an average improvement in performance of 12% together with a 15% reduction in fuel consumption. These results meant that cars fitted with the engine were an immediate hit.
Now the time is ripe for the second generation of JTD engines, the Multijet and multivalve units. And the multipoint 1.9 JTD 16v is privileged to be the forerunner of this new power unit family.
The benefits of multivalve technology
Great power then (103 kW) and generous torque (31 kgm) for the new 1.9 JTD 16v unit. Results achieved through:
· a new engine control setting;
· an increase in direct injection pressure from 1300 to 1400 bars;
· a new turbocharger setting.
The power units are turbocharged via a Garrett turbocharger with variable geometry turbine that helps improve power delivery by allowing very high torque delivery even at low rpms. Suffice it to say that 90% of maximum torque is available between 1750 and 3250 rpm. These statistics add up to a very pleasant drive plus really sparkling performance from the Alfa 147 as well as the Alfa 156 and Sportwagon.
Alfa 147 as well as the Alfa 156 and Sportwagon.
In 5th, for example, the Alfa 147 accelerates from 80 to 120 km/h in 7.9 seconds; it reaches a top speed of 206 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.1. And all this is achieved with low fuel consumption. At constant speed in 6th gear, the model returns the following results:
· 4.5 l/100 km at 90 km/h;
· 6.0 l/100 km at 120 km/h;
· 7.5 l/100 km at 150 km/h.
Lastly, the Alfa 156 touches a top speed of 209 km/h and accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 9.3 seconds. The Sportwagon, on the other hand, takes 9.7 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h. In this case too, the fuel consumption is very reasonable. At constant speed in 6th gear, the model returns the following results:
· 4.5 l/100 km at 90 km/h;
· 5.9 l/100 km at 120 km/h;
· 7.3 l/100 km at 150 km/h.
2.0 JTS: Alfa Romeo's interpretation of the direct injection petrol engine
The 2.0 JTS is an ultra-high performance power unit that takes the name of JTS (Jet Thrust Stoichiometric) from its specific combustion system, an acronym that is destined to identify an entire family of future Alfa Romeo engines.
As far as the customer is concerned, this means a two litre car that:
· already meets stringent Euro 4 emission limits;
· does not need low sulphur petrol but is able to use the normal petrol already on sale in Europe and the United States.
The 2.0 JTS thus represents a veritable technological breakthrough for Alfa Romeo, its first petrol engine with injectors that work directly in the combustion chamber. It achieves its end by interpreting the principles of stratified charge and the creation of motion in the mixture inside the cylinder in an entirely original way.
Lean burn, but not too lean
The possibility of injecting petrol directly into the combustion chamber instead of the intake duct has been known since Nikolaus Otto (who took out a patent in 1877) and has been applied for two different purposes over the years. On racing cars in the Fifties and Sixties to increase engine power. More recently (since 1996), to reduce fuel consumption.
Recently, manufacturers have devoted all their efforts to this latter direction and gratifying results have been achieved with the stratified charge method. The principle is simple: instead of injecting all the petrol required to maintain the normal air-fuel ratio of 14.7:1 (stoichiometric) throughout the combustion chamber, only a small amount of fuel is injected that mixes with the air to form a core of almost stoichiometric composition about the spark plug. The resulting mixture is stratified or layered because it is richer where the ignition spark ignites and increasingly lean (more air and less fuel) as it approaches the outside of the chamber.
So far the benefits of this lean burn system, usually applied in the rpm band up to 3000 rpm, have amounted to a fuel saving of some 10%. The disadvantages may be summarised as follows:
· a drop in performance when the car is required to deliver full power (because the ducts and pistons are shaped in a certain way that is essential to reduce fuel consumption at low speeds);
· the need to use sulphur-free fuel that is difficult to find in Europe and practically unknown in the US;
· the requirement for exhaust gas treatment methods (DENox) to reduce the higher nitrogen oxide emissions generated by the leaner burn.
It goes without saying that Alfa Romeo's approach to the new technology had to be quite different. Category-topping performance and irrepressive driving behaviour have always been essential requirements for all Brand models.
But what was to stop us from using direct injection to increase engine power and torque in keeping with the sporty applications of this technology. Then, we reasoned, we could bring in the stratified charge system to reduce fuel consumption within a restricted rpm band around idle speed.
The result was an entirely original Alfa Romeo approach to applying direct injection in petrol engines. A solution that offered a compromise between the two methods pursued to date. The New Alfa 156 2.0 JTS works using a lean burn approach up to around 1500 rpm and this saves fuel, although not as much as on other lean GDIs. Above this rpm, the engine burns a stoichiometric air-fuel mixture, i.e. with a normal 14.7:1 ratio between both components. All this means outstanding performance. Much better than would be obtained using a normal indirect injection petrol unit.
Firstly, because petrol injected directly into the combustion chamber instead of the duct cools intake air to increase the engine's volumetric efficiency. As temperature drops, the gases increase in density and their volume therefore decreases: this means that more air can be introduced into the combustion chamber.
Power unit susceptibility to knock is also reduced by chamber cooling. It is therefore possible to increase the compression ratio - in this case from 10:1 for the 2.0 T. Spark to 11.3:1 for the 2.0 JTS.
This means more power for the new Alfa Romeo engine that is, moreover, able to deliver its power unhindered because the exhaust gas treatment system used on Alfa Romeo models does not generate the strong counterpressures typical of the Nox absorbers used by lean GDIs.
Direct introduction of petrol into the chamber improves power unit response speed to the accelerator control (it is faster overall than a conventional petrol engine).
Benefits: higher performance and lower fuel consumption
Compared to the current 2.0 T. Spark unit and other currently available direct injection petrol engines, the 2.0 JTS offers slightly lower fuel consumption and a generous increase in power and - above all - torque: + 15 bhp and + 25 Nm. And all this is achieved using petrol currently on sale and current catalytic converters.
A new combustion chamber principle
The new JTS combustion system displays two distinctive features:
· the principle followed to generate the movement that propels the air and fuel mixture toward the spark plug inside the cylinder;
· the range of rotation speeds within which the engine works using a lean burn system.
Let's take a look at the first point. In other GDI engines, the force of the air drags the fuel spray into the area where the ignition spark ignites. This option is determined by a desire to achieve a very lean mixture (up to 60:1) and thus major fuel savings. But it brings a need to change the air's motion within the combustion chamber (charge motion) according to rpm level and this complicates the air input mechanisms (throttles, duct closure systems etc.).
On the 2.0 JTS, however, the force of the fuel spray (Jet Thrust) propels the fuel toward the spark plug as it mixes with the air.
In this way, we achieve a charge that is less lean overall (the ratio remains constant at all speeds and is 25:1) and less fuel is consequently saved. But the engine's internal mechanism is far less complicated because it lacks systems for altering the air's motion.
The same process of simplification also guarantees the limitation of lean burn technology to rpm levels around idle speed (up to 1500 rpm). GDI engines that use stratified charge within a broader speed band (up to 3000 rpm) must employ modified piston and duct profiles. The resulting shape does not allow power to be optimised at high speeds.
The use of stratified charge only up to 1500 rpm, however, means that the pistons and ducts on the 2.0 JTS Alfa Romeo are hardly altered. Because their shape is more similar to those of current indirect injection engines, they are able to exploit all available power at high speeds.
The addition of an exhaust gas treatment system (Nox absorber) to remove nitrogen oxides is also only required when the lean burn range is extended up to 3000 rpm. This also dictates the use of sulphur-free fuel, i.e. the only type that will not damage the catalytic converter.
The use of stratified charge only at speeds around idling, however, allows the 2.0 JTS unit to use a conventional catalytic converter system. This result is also made possible by a more extensive use of exhaust gas recirculation, which reduces the production of nitrogen oxides (NOx). Because Alfa Romeo engines are fitted with variable valve timing, exhaust gas is recirculated to the intake on the 2.0 JTS directly between the intake and exhaust valves (internal EGR).
Engineering: what changes
The main engineering changes on the 2.0 JTS compared to the corresponding Twin Spark engine affect the cylinder head (with Bosch injectors fitted in the chamber), pistons, camshafts and exhaust system. All these components are completely new.
The intake ports are high performance; the fuel manifold is high pressure (common rail type); piston compression ratio is higher - and the exhaust - built to Euro 4 standards - is cascade type.
The exhaust gas treatment system works conventionally despite an unconventional layout: the system no longer consists of a preconverter and a main converter located under the body. Instead it comprises two main catalytic converters built into the manifold (each connected to a double branch that leads to two cylinders). This frees up the space under the body for a silencer that is more permeable and thus more able to reduce counterpressure for fuller engine power delivery.
05-06-2003, 04:42 PM
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Alfa Romeo: Development and Technology News
Alfa may use non-GM dealers for U.S. return; automaker planning six-model lineup
By LUCA CIFERRI | Automotive News Europe
Alfa Romeo's Brera will be similar to the concept coupe that Italdesign-Giugiaro unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March 2002. A Spider version is also planned.
Alfa Romeo expects to sell 50,000 cars a year in the USA with a six-model lineup after it re-enters the market in 2007, President Daniele Bandiera says.
That would represent a dramatic departure from anything previously achieved by Alfa Romeo in the USA. From 1952 when the company first sold cars there to its 1995 withdrawal, its peak sales year was in 1986 with 8,201 units.
Regardless, Alfa Romeo is engineering all new models to comply with US regulations, though it has not yet decided exactly how the brand will be distributed when it returns to the USA in 2007.
Alfa Romeo's 2007 USA models
Brera coupe
Brera Spider two-seat derivative
156 sedan replacement
156 Sportwagon replacement
Kamal compact crossover
147 sedan replacement
"We will begin approaching the 40 dealers that were faithful to Alfa Romeo until the very end of operations in North America," Bandiera said. "But we will also talk with dealers that are currently successfully selling Maserati there, and any other General Motors brand dealer interested in our products."
Bandiera rejected the widely rumored suggestion that Alfas would be exclusively distributed in the United States by a GM sales channel such as Cadillac or Saab. GM has a 20 percent share in Fiat Auto, Alfa Romeo's owner.
"We wish to appoint dealers enthusiastic to our brand, not people almost obliged to add a new franchise that maybe is not really interesting for them. We want to return in the US in cooperation with GM, but we do not want to replicate the ARDONA mistake," Bandiera said.
The reference was to Alfa Romeo Distributors of North America, or ARDONA, which was a 1989 joint venture with Chrysler Corp. ARDONA's medium-term target - never achieved because of quality and reliability problems - was annual sales of 25,000 to 30,000.
The Alfa Romeo Milano, the US version of the European 75, regularly finished near the bottom of the J.D. Power and Associates initial quality survey, ahead of only the Yugo.
The Alfa Romeo 164 was a particular problem in terms of warranty costs.
Alfa Romeo carried on alone after Chrysler withdrew from the joint venture in late 1991. It finally notified its 97 remaining dealers in January 1995 that distribution would stop at the end of the year.
Alfa Romeo's planned US relaunch has made slow progress. Alfa announced plans to return to the USA by early 2003 after Fiat Auto signed its strategic alliance with GM in March 2000. In that agreement, GM and Fiat Auto created two joint-venture companies: one for global purchasing for their operations in Europe and Latin America, another that merged all powertrain operations in the same regions.
Alfa Romeo's original US plan was based on the replacement for the Spider, together with the GTV coupe derived from it. The cars were shown to US dealers, but Alfa Romeo suspended the project four months after the cars made their European debuts.
Alfa Romeo's US comeback has been delayed three times - to 2004, then to 2005 and last summer to 2007.
The first two delays were due to platform changes. Code-named Project 938, the Spider was first designed by Pininfarina on Fiat's new C-D-H platform, which made its debut on the Fiat Stilo in July 2001. The 938 was then switched to GM's Epsilon platform and, a year later, to the Premium platform Alfa Romeo was developing with Saab.
The final delay came in July 2002, when new Alfa Romeo management under Bandiera decided to kill the 938 project in favor of the Spider version of the Brera, the concept coupe that Italdesign-Giugiaro unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March 2002. The Brera has collected dozens of prizes, including one by sister publication Automotive News, which named it Concept Car of the Year.
Alfa's new range is code-named 939. It includes a Brera coupe that is almost identical to the concept car, a two-seat Spider derivative, and a four-door sedan and station wagon to replace the current 156 sedan and Sportwagon.
These four models will be the cornerstones of Alfa Romeo's 2007 return to the USA. They have front- and four-wheel-drive derivatives and are based on the Premium platform developed with Saab.
Alfa Romeo plans to unveil the Brera coupe and 156 sedan replacement in June 2005. European sales of the sedan will start in July, and the coupe in December. The replacement for the 156 Sportwagon will be unveiled in November 2005 and go on sale a month later. The range will be completed in March 2006 with the new Spider.
The Brera and the new Spider will be built by Pininfarina, which designed and builds the current Spider and GTV coupe.
Two other models seem destined to complete Alfa Romeo's 2007 lineup for the US. One is a production version of the Kamal compact crossover previewed at this year's Geneva show. The other is the Alfa Romeo 147 replacement, due to appear in Europe in May 2006. The model will be the first Alfa Romeo based on the new Fiat-GM common architecture designed for the replacements to the Fiat Stilo and the Opel/Vauxhall Astra.
Alfa Romeo may also introduce a full-size crossover to replace the 166 sedan flagship by 2007. It is said to be talking to Maserati about sharing the platform and running gear of the Kubang, which debuted at the Detroit show in January 2003.
Alfa Romeo's Brera will be similar to the concept coupe that Italdesign-Giugiaro unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March 2002. A Spider version is also planned.
Alfa Romeo expects to sell 50,000 cars a year in the USA with a six-model lineup after it re-enters the market in 2007, President Daniele Bandiera says.
That would represent a dramatic departure from anything previously achieved by Alfa Romeo in the USA. From 1952 when the company first sold cars there to its 1995 withdrawal, its peak sales year was in 1986 with 8,201 units.
Regardless, Alfa Romeo is engineering all new models to comply with US regulations, though it has not yet decided exactly how the brand will be distributed when it returns to the USA in 2007.
Alfa Romeo's 2007 USA models
Brera coupe
Brera Spider two-seat derivative
156 sedan replacement
156 Sportwagon replacement
Kamal compact crossover
147 sedan replacement
"We will begin approaching the 40 dealers that were faithful to Alfa Romeo until the very end of operations in North America," Bandiera said. "But we will also talk with dealers that are currently successfully selling Maserati there, and any other General Motors brand dealer interested in our products."
Bandiera rejected the widely rumored suggestion that Alfas would be exclusively distributed in the United States by a GM sales channel such as Cadillac or Saab. GM has a 20 percent share in Fiat Auto, Alfa Romeo's owner.
"We wish to appoint dealers enthusiastic to our brand, not people almost obliged to add a new franchise that maybe is not really interesting for them. We want to return in the US in cooperation with GM, but we do not want to replicate the ARDONA mistake," Bandiera said.
The reference was to Alfa Romeo Distributors of North America, or ARDONA, which was a 1989 joint venture with Chrysler Corp. ARDONA's medium-term target - never achieved because of quality and reliability problems - was annual sales of 25,000 to 30,000.
The Alfa Romeo Milano, the US version of the European 75, regularly finished near the bottom of the J.D. Power and Associates initial quality survey, ahead of only the Yugo.
The Alfa Romeo 164 was a particular problem in terms of warranty costs.
Alfa Romeo carried on alone after Chrysler withdrew from the joint venture in late 1991. It finally notified its 97 remaining dealers in January 1995 that distribution would stop at the end of the year.
Alfa Romeo's planned US relaunch has made slow progress. Alfa announced plans to return to the USA by early 2003 after Fiat Auto signed its strategic alliance with GM in March 2000. In that agreement, GM and Fiat Auto created two joint-venture companies: one for global purchasing for their operations in Europe and Latin America, another that merged all powertrain operations in the same regions.
Alfa Romeo's original US plan was based on the replacement for the Spider, together with the GTV coupe derived from it. The cars were shown to US dealers, but Alfa Romeo suspended the project four months after the cars made their European debuts.
Alfa Romeo's US comeback has been delayed three times - to 2004, then to 2005 and last summer to 2007.
The first two delays were due to platform changes. Code-named Project 938, the Spider was first designed by Pininfarina on Fiat's new C-D-H platform, which made its debut on the Fiat Stilo in July 2001. The 938 was then switched to GM's Epsilon platform and, a year later, to the Premium platform Alfa Romeo was developing with Saab.
The final delay came in July 2002, when new Alfa Romeo management under Bandiera decided to kill the 938 project in favor of the Spider version of the Brera, the concept coupe that Italdesign-Giugiaro unveiled at the Geneva auto show in March 2002. The Brera has collected dozens of prizes, including one by sister publication Automotive News, which named it Concept Car of the Year.
Alfa's new range is code-named 939. It includes a Brera coupe that is almost identical to the concept car, a two-seat Spider derivative, and a four-door sedan and station wagon to replace the current 156 sedan and Sportwagon.
These four models will be the cornerstones of Alfa Romeo's 2007 return to the USA. They have front- and four-wheel-drive derivatives and are based on the Premium platform developed with Saab.
Alfa Romeo plans to unveil the Brera coupe and 156 sedan replacement in June 2005. European sales of the sedan will start in July, and the coupe in December. The replacement for the 156 Sportwagon will be unveiled in November 2005 and go on sale a month later. The range will be completed in March 2006 with the new Spider.
The Brera and the new Spider will be built by Pininfarina, which designed and builds the current Spider and GTV coupe.
Two other models seem destined to complete Alfa Romeo's 2007 lineup for the US. One is a production version of the Kamal compact crossover previewed at this year's Geneva show. The other is the Alfa Romeo 147 replacement, due to appear in Europe in May 2006. The model will be the first Alfa Romeo based on the new Fiat-GM common architecture designed for the replacements to the Fiat Stilo and the Opel/Vauxhall Astra.
Alfa Romeo may also introduce a full-size crossover to replace the 166 sedan flagship by 2007. It is said to be talking to Maserati about sharing the platform and running gear of the Kubang, which debuted at the Detroit show in January 2003.
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12-02-2003, 02:54 PM
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ALFA postpones its arrival to the USA yet again!
Postponed, Again: Alfa Romeo won't return to the U.S. in 2007
By LUCA CIFERRI | Automotive News Europe
TURIN, Italy - Once again, Alfa Romeo has postponed its return to the United States.
The Italian automaker will not re-enter the U.S. market in 2007 as planned, Fiat Group CEO Giuseppe Morchio told Automotive News Europe.
An eventual return still is part of parent Fiat Group's strategy, but a date has not been set, Morchio said. "We have to fix our operations in Europe before we start thinking about North America."
Alfa has postponed its return to the United States repeatedly since Fiat announced its strategic alliance with General Motors in 2000. At the time, Fiat said Alfa would introduce the redesigned two-seat Spider convertible in 2003.
That introduction subsequently was postponed to 2004, then to 2005 and eventually to 2007.
The first two delays resulted from design changes to the Spider's platform. Code-named Project 938, that platform was killed last year.
Then Alfa decided to delay the Spider's return until it could introduce a complete range of new vehicles. Code-named Project 939, the new range includes four cars based on a platform that Alfa developed jointly with Saab. They will be redesigns of the 156 sedan and station wagon and the Spider and GTV coupe. All will appear in Europe in 2005 and 2006. Alfa also plans to introduce a crossover vehicle in 2006 and another in 2007.
Alfa wants to introduce these cars in Europe before re-entering the U.S. market. It has projected sales of 50,000 to 60,000 cars a year in the United States.
Alfa Romeo officially entered the U.S. market in 1952. A decade later, the company launched Alfa Romeo North America to distribute the cars. To expand its presence, Alfa Romeo started a distribution joint venture with the former Chrysler Corp.
The joint venture's goal was to sell 25,000 to 30,000 units a year, but poor quality and reliability problems hampered sales. Alfa's best year in the United States was 1986, when it sold 8,201 cars.
The Fiat Group acquired Alfa Romeo in 1987.
Chrysler withdrew from the joint venture in 1991, but Alfa Romeo continued its sales operations on its own for a while. In 1995, it finally notified its 97 remaining dealers that it would stop exporting vehicles to the United States.
In the United States, Alfa Romeo sold 414 cars in 1995, according to the Automotive News Data Center
News of Alfa Romeo's delayed return to the United States comes at a time when Alfa is focusing on a turnaround in its core European markets.
Through October, Alfa sold 138,631 units in western Europe. Compared with the year-ago period, Alfa Romeo's European sales were down 5.8 percent.
That's a steeper decline than Alfa Romeo's rivals have suffered. In the first 10 months of 2003, industry sales in western Europe were down just 1.3 percent.
10-20-2004, 12:26 PM
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Alfa Romeo's plans for the future
Alfa fires up for a promising future - - Source: Autocar
Alfa Romeo is in the final stages of a product blitz that parent company Fiat hopes will catapult the brand firmly into the ranks of Europe’s premier league of car makers.
Despite sales figures which make the emotive marque no more than an also-ran in the premium market, Fiat Group has pledged a multi-million euro development budget and has pinned its hopes on one of the most advanced four-wheel-drive systems yet seen and a raft of advanced diesel and petrol engines. Alfa bosses hope that an even greater emphasis on advanced technology will finally break the company’s long association with glamorous but flawed cars.
Over the next three years we will see Alfa enter new market niches – including the all-important crossover segment – as well as attempting to raise its profile with a dramatic driver-orientated coupé and cabrio, and even a Ferrari-challenging supercar.
One of the most impressive aspects of this audacious plan is Alfa’s innovative mix-and-match construction approach. Aside from the all-new ‘Premium’ steel platform (developed solely by Alfa after Saab pulled out of the project nearly two years ago), Alfa engineers have also developed a hybrid spaceframe-cum-monocoque version of the Premium chassis. They have even created a new type of ‘rolling chassis’, which can be used for relatively short production runs of high-end bespoke models.
But while Alfa’s engines have been universally admired (indeed, the company’s JTD diesel is now a staple power unit for GM’s European brands), and the innovative construction techniques will be a boon to the company’s product planners, the key to a profitable future will be producing desirable cars that match class standards in handling and reliability, and set even higher standards than Alfa’s current models in terms of fit, finish and materials quality.
Alfa Romeos no longer rust and they are finished to far higher standards than a decade ago. However, rivals such as Audi have lifted the game on build quality to another plane, and the durability of Alfa mechanicals is still in question – problems with Selespeed transmissions, occasional engine failures and premature suspension wear can make reaching six-figure mileages an expensive process. But the company is reportedly addressing these issues in tandem with an upgrade of its dealer network, which in the past has frequently lost Alfa customers it has conquested from other brands.
And starting next spring at the Geneva Motor Show we should get our first look at the 157 saloon and Sportwagon (which should get the 158 moniker). These will be vital bread-and-butter cars for Alfa Romeo’s future, but close behind will be the Brera coupé (above, right) and spider. It’s this compact powerhouse that could do for the Milanese what the TT did for Audi.
Alfa Romeo Project 939C Brera
Prototypes of Alfa’s GTV replacement have just broken cover in Germany, as our gallery spy shots show. Although details are sparse, some sources say that the Brera coupé is a clever mix of the new Premium platform – which is used for the lower structure – and a bespoke upper structure developed from the steel spaceframe technology pioneered by Fiat on the Multipla and Stilo.
Although the Brera concept was created by Giugiaro and Italdesign, Autocar understands that it will go into production at Pininfarina’s facility in mid-2005. The topless Spider version is scheduled to go into production at the beginning of 2006. Should that be the case we’d expect to see both models publicly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005 with UK sales starting in early 2006.
Although the strong flavour of the concept has been retained, the final car is different in every detail. It’s clear that the Brera has a shorter wheelbase than the upcoming 157/8. It’s thought that the car rides on a 2550mm platform, 150mm shorter than its four-door sister car’s. Despite this, the Brera has a markedly lengthy wheelbase and wide track for such a low and compact car.
The spaceframe upper structure seems to have enabled Alfa engineers to dramatically change the proportions of the top half of the car, as well as making it easier to build a stiff structure for the roofless Spider version. The current GTV-based Spider is hopelessly flexible.
Wide-bodied below the shoulder line, the sides of the Brera’s cabin slope dramatically inwards. The rear hatch is especially steeply raked. There has been one major change to the concept car: the production version has gained a proper side window. Italdesign’s original used a door so long that it was only separated from the wrap-around tailgate by the rear pillar. The ‘butterfly-wing’ doors have also been dropped for conventionally hinged versions.
So distinctive – and successful – is the Alfa family nose that it can hardly be disguised. The headlamps units are slimmer than on the 157/8, though the basic nose graphics are much the same.
Inside, the interior will share much with the 157/8, although it will have its own door trims, steering wheel and seats. It’s thought that the dash-top moulding will be different and there could be detail trim improvements such as chrome bezel treatments for more of the instruments. Rear-seat accommodation should be reasonable, even if the available headroom isn’t.
Under the skin, the Brera has a transversely mounted engine and gearbox. However, it’s not clear which wheels will be driven. The best estimate is that all six-cylinder Breras will have the clever new Alfa Q4 four-wheel-drive transmission, although other insiders say Q4 will be standard on all version of the Brera. The entry-level engine could be a new 2.2-litre JTS (a direct-injection petrol unit based on the GM L-series engine) good for around 190bhp. Two diesels will be available: a 2.4-litre five-cylinder unit with around 190bhp and a 250bhp 3.0-litre V6.
The V6 petrol engine is based on the new GM global unit, also destined for Saab, Opel and Holden models. Bigger petrol V6s are expected at the top of the range, including 3.2- and even 3.6-litre powerplants, the latter good for as much as 300bhp. Even so, the unconfirmed GTA-badged Brera could deliver as much as 400bhp – showing just how seriously Alfa Romeo is about matching the best of the high-performance German cars.
As well as its unique JTS injection system, Alfa engineers are said to have another trick up their sleeve. Dubbed UNIAIR, this new induction system mimics BMW’s Valvetronic technology by both dispensing with the throttle bodies and controlling the engine’s inlet valves electronically. Sources say UNIAIR improves power and torque outputs as well as cutting emissions. Eventually it will be fitted to all Alfa engines and is even said to be under development at Ferrari.
Although we won’t sample the car until next year, the omens are good for the Brera if the Alfa 156 Q4 is anything to go by. Of course, the 156’s basic platform is outclassed in the sports saloon segment, but the Q4’s rear-biased torque delivery helps it determinedly resist understeer and keeps the nose-led lurching that typifies transverse-engined cars to a minimum, no matter how hard it is pushed around bends.
There are no clues on the likely pricing of the Brera models. However, the base 2.2-litre car will have to be more expensive than today’s 2.0-litre JTS GT coupe, which retails for £21,495. A price of £25,000 – matching that of the entry-level four-wheel-drive Audi TT coupé – would be a fair estimate. Pricing should top out above £30k for the 3.2-litre V6 version. A full-on GTA model – in effect Alfa’s BMW M3 rival – would probably hit £40k.
The truth is, Alfa’s been here before. Alfa – like Rover – has been looking for one last big push for the past 15 years. The 156 was as close to matching the class standard as any Alfa since the Alfasud of 1972. But the styling has been cracked and the new-generation cars, which start rolling out next year, have never been better equipped from a technical point of view. Fit, finish and reliability in the widest sense is now Alfa’s biggest challenge. That, along with the need for a massive improvement in dealer back-up and to shift ingrained buyer prejudice. Launching the Brera virtually along side the 157/8 could be the best way of boosting Alfa’s reputation once and for all.
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Alfa’s dramatic 8C Competizione supercar project is at a turning point as you read these words. In the past few weeks Alfa insiders have been sounding out the possibility of charging as much as €150,000 – or about £100,000 – for the car. They are said to be gauging reaction to the price as this is rather more than originally envisaged. Autocar has also learnt that 600 orders is the break-even point before management will give the 8C the green light. Even so, there’s still plenty of discussion about the car’s fundamental make-up, according to sources.
As part of the ongoing cost-cutting investigations, the carbonfibre monocoque bodyshell will be dropped. It still sits on Alfa’s clever split-frame chassis (and uses some of the Premium platform’s running gear), but the upper body structure may now be built with Fiat’s steel spaceframe technology.
At the moment the three prototype cars are fitted with a 410bhp version of the 4.3-litre V8 Maserati engine, although some of the engineers are keen to use the supercharged version which delivers well over 450bhp. However, cost pressures (superchargers are expensive) could kill the plan. It’s also possible that the car may use a version of Ferrari’s new 483bhp 4.3-litre F430 engine. There’s said to be some disquiet within Fiat Auto about the 8C stepping on the corporate toes of Maserati, with some suggesting that the 8C could steal sales from the Coupé if the Alfa-Maserati divide becomes blurred
Despite sales figures which make the emotive marque no more than an also-ran in the premium market, Fiat Group has pledged a multi-million euro development budget and has pinned its hopes on one of the most advanced four-wheel-drive systems yet seen and a raft of advanced diesel and petrol engines. Alfa bosses hope that an even greater emphasis on advanced technology will finally break the company’s long association with glamorous but flawed cars.
Over the next three years we will see Alfa enter new market niches – including the all-important crossover segment – as well as attempting to raise its profile with a dramatic driver-orientated coupé and cabrio, and even a Ferrari-challenging supercar.
One of the most impressive aspects of this audacious plan is Alfa’s innovative mix-and-match construction approach. Aside from the all-new ‘Premium’ steel platform (developed solely by Alfa after Saab pulled out of the project nearly two years ago), Alfa engineers have also developed a hybrid spaceframe-cum-monocoque version of the Premium chassis. They have even created a new type of ‘rolling chassis’, which can be used for relatively short production runs of high-end bespoke models.
But while Alfa’s engines have been universally admired (indeed, the company’s JTD diesel is now a staple power unit for GM’s European brands), and the innovative construction techniques will be a boon to the company’s product planners, the key to a profitable future will be producing desirable cars that match class standards in handling and reliability, and set even higher standards than Alfa’s current models in terms of fit, finish and materials quality.
Alfa Romeos no longer rust and they are finished to far higher standards than a decade ago. However, rivals such as Audi have lifted the game on build quality to another plane, and the durability of Alfa mechanicals is still in question – problems with Selespeed transmissions, occasional engine failures and premature suspension wear can make reaching six-figure mileages an expensive process. But the company is reportedly addressing these issues in tandem with an upgrade of its dealer network, which in the past has frequently lost Alfa customers it has conquested from other brands.
And starting next spring at the Geneva Motor Show we should get our first look at the 157 saloon and Sportwagon (which should get the 158 moniker). These will be vital bread-and-butter cars for Alfa Romeo’s future, but close behind will be the Brera coupé (above, right) and spider. It’s this compact powerhouse that could do for the Milanese what the TT did for Audi.
Alfa Romeo Project 939C Brera
Prototypes of Alfa’s GTV replacement have just broken cover in Germany, as our gallery spy shots show. Although details are sparse, some sources say that the Brera coupé is a clever mix of the new Premium platform – which is used for the lower structure – and a bespoke upper structure developed from the steel spaceframe technology pioneered by Fiat on the Multipla and Stilo.
Although the Brera concept was created by Giugiaro and Italdesign, Autocar understands that it will go into production at Pininfarina’s facility in mid-2005. The topless Spider version is scheduled to go into production at the beginning of 2006. Should that be the case we’d expect to see both models publicly unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September 2005 with UK sales starting in early 2006.
Although the strong flavour of the concept has been retained, the final car is different in every detail. It’s clear that the Brera has a shorter wheelbase than the upcoming 157/8. It’s thought that the car rides on a 2550mm platform, 150mm shorter than its four-door sister car’s. Despite this, the Brera has a markedly lengthy wheelbase and wide track for such a low and compact car.
The spaceframe upper structure seems to have enabled Alfa engineers to dramatically change the proportions of the top half of the car, as well as making it easier to build a stiff structure for the roofless Spider version. The current GTV-based Spider is hopelessly flexible.
Wide-bodied below the shoulder line, the sides of the Brera’s cabin slope dramatically inwards. The rear hatch is especially steeply raked. There has been one major change to the concept car: the production version has gained a proper side window. Italdesign’s original used a door so long that it was only separated from the wrap-around tailgate by the rear pillar. The ‘butterfly-wing’ doors have also been dropped for conventionally hinged versions.
So distinctive – and successful – is the Alfa family nose that it can hardly be disguised. The headlamps units are slimmer than on the 157/8, though the basic nose graphics are much the same.
Inside, the interior will share much with the 157/8, although it will have its own door trims, steering wheel and seats. It’s thought that the dash-top moulding will be different and there could be detail trim improvements such as chrome bezel treatments for more of the instruments. Rear-seat accommodation should be reasonable, even if the available headroom isn’t.
Under the skin, the Brera has a transversely mounted engine and gearbox. However, it’s not clear which wheels will be driven. The best estimate is that all six-cylinder Breras will have the clever new Alfa Q4 four-wheel-drive transmission, although other insiders say Q4 will be standard on all version of the Brera. The entry-level engine could be a new 2.2-litre JTS (a direct-injection petrol unit based on the GM L-series engine) good for around 190bhp. Two diesels will be available: a 2.4-litre five-cylinder unit with around 190bhp and a 250bhp 3.0-litre V6.
The V6 petrol engine is based on the new GM global unit, also destined for Saab, Opel and Holden models. Bigger petrol V6s are expected at the top of the range, including 3.2- and even 3.6-litre powerplants, the latter good for as much as 300bhp. Even so, the unconfirmed GTA-badged Brera could deliver as much as 400bhp – showing just how seriously Alfa Romeo is about matching the best of the high-performance German cars.
As well as its unique JTS injection system, Alfa engineers are said to have another trick up their sleeve. Dubbed UNIAIR, this new induction system mimics BMW’s Valvetronic technology by both dispensing with the throttle bodies and controlling the engine’s inlet valves electronically. Sources say UNIAIR improves power and torque outputs as well as cutting emissions. Eventually it will be fitted to all Alfa engines and is even said to be under development at Ferrari.
Although we won’t sample the car until next year, the omens are good for the Brera if the Alfa 156 Q4 is anything to go by. Of course, the 156’s basic platform is outclassed in the sports saloon segment, but the Q4’s rear-biased torque delivery helps it determinedly resist understeer and keeps the nose-led lurching that typifies transverse-engined cars to a minimum, no matter how hard it is pushed around bends.
There are no clues on the likely pricing of the Brera models. However, the base 2.2-litre car will have to be more expensive than today’s 2.0-litre JTS GT coupe, which retails for £21,495. A price of £25,000 – matching that of the entry-level four-wheel-drive Audi TT coupé – would be a fair estimate. Pricing should top out above £30k for the 3.2-litre V6 version. A full-on GTA model – in effect Alfa’s BMW M3 rival – would probably hit £40k.
The truth is, Alfa’s been here before. Alfa – like Rover – has been looking for one last big push for the past 15 years. The 156 was as close to matching the class standard as any Alfa since the Alfasud of 1972. But the styling has been cracked and the new-generation cars, which start rolling out next year, have never been better equipped from a technical point of view. Fit, finish and reliability in the widest sense is now Alfa’s biggest challenge. That, along with the need for a massive improvement in dealer back-up and to shift ingrained buyer prejudice. Launching the Brera virtually along side the 157/8 could be the best way of boosting Alfa’s reputation once and for all.
Alfa Romeo 8C Competizione
Alfa’s dramatic 8C Competizione supercar project is at a turning point as you read these words. In the past few weeks Alfa insiders have been sounding out the possibility of charging as much as €150,000 – or about £100,000 – for the car. They are said to be gauging reaction to the price as this is rather more than originally envisaged. Autocar has also learnt that 600 orders is the break-even point before management will give the 8C the green light. Even so, there’s still plenty of discussion about the car’s fundamental make-up, according to sources.
As part of the ongoing cost-cutting investigations, the carbonfibre monocoque bodyshell will be dropped. It still sits on Alfa’s clever split-frame chassis (and uses some of the Premium platform’s running gear), but the upper body structure may now be built with Fiat’s steel spaceframe technology.
At the moment the three prototype cars are fitted with a 410bhp version of the 4.3-litre V8 Maserati engine, although some of the engineers are keen to use the supercharged version which delivers well over 450bhp. However, cost pressures (superchargers are expensive) could kill the plan. It’s also possible that the car may use a version of Ferrari’s new 483bhp 4.3-litre F430 engine. There’s said to be some disquiet within Fiat Auto about the 8C stepping on the corporate toes of Maserati, with some suggesting that the 8C could steal sales from the Coupé if the Alfa-Maserati divide becomes blurred
02-22-2005, 12:20 AM
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Could U.S. Be Next for Alfa? -- Source: The Car Connection
What could be next, according to other reports, could be a return of Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market. Marchionne may be planning to bring Alfa back to the States as early as 2007, Automotive News reports. The re-entry could be helped along with the teaming of Alfa and Maserati, reports add, since the brands are expected to share platforms and Maserati has a small dealer presence in the U.S. A new "premium" platform could spawn Alfa products as well as a new Maser Spyder and Kubang crossover vehicle. Also, in the GM agreement Alfa Romeo will receive Northstar V-8 engines and will get help in federalizing its products to U.S. standards.
What could be next, according to other reports, could be a return of Alfa Romeo to the U.S. market. Marchionne may be planning to bring Alfa back to the States as early as 2007, Automotive News reports. The re-entry could be helped along with the teaming of Alfa and Maserati, reports add, since the brands are expected to share platforms and Maserati has a small dealer presence in the U.S. A new "premium" platform could spawn Alfa products as well as a new Maser Spyder and Kubang crossover vehicle. Also, in the GM agreement Alfa Romeo will receive Northstar V-8 engines and will get help in federalizing its products to U.S. standards.
02-22-2005, 09:53 AM
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Originally Posted by MADCAT
I would take an ALFA over Japanese/German car anyday!
02-22-2005, 12:50 PM
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They just keep toying with us here in the states...
Fiat group has more on their plate to clean up before they head for the US market. But you never know with these european companies, they don't really follow sound business planning.
All the reviewers say that quality and build is up with Alfa's but still not great.
IF they come to the US in 07, I would be on the doorsteps for a 147.
Junkster, who likes alfa designs
Fiat group has more on their plate to clean up before they head for the US market. But you never know with these european companies, they don't really follow sound business planning.
All the reviewers say that quality and build is up with Alfa's but still not great.
IF they come to the US in 07, I would be on the doorsteps for a 147.
Junkster, who likes alfa designs
02-22-2005, 01:26 PM
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Originally Posted by MADCAT
For some of their styling, no in this case.
02-22-2005, 01:30 PM
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Originally Posted by Junkster
Fiat group has more on their plate to clean up before they head for the US market. But you never know with these european companies, they don't really follow sound business planning.
02-22-2005, 01:50 PM
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Originally Posted by gavriil
Ha! Exactly what I meant when I wrote "one cant do business with the Italians"
It's such a stereotype, but it's so true, according to my father...
My father used to be in the leather fashion business, and he said the Italians were right behind Jews as the worst to do business with...
Ironically, Italian brand drycleaning machines and certain industrial grade machines are only behind the Germans in terms of quality and build...
Junkster, who read that Italian drycleaning machines cost two times the price of a US machine
02-22-2005, 02:48 PM
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Originally Posted by Junkster
It's such a stereotype, but it's so true, according to my father...
My father used to be in the leather fashion business, and he said the Italians were right behind Jews as the worst to do business with...
Ironically, Italian brand drycleaning machines and certain industrial grade machines are only behind the Germans in terms of quality and build...
Junkster, who read that Italian drycleaning machines cost two times the price of a US machine
02-22-2005, 03:13 PM
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Originally Posted by fdl
here we go again 
fdl, who thinks being compared to the jews in the business world is a compliment.
fdl, who thinks being compared to the jews in the business world is a compliment.
I almost PMed you with the link to this page
02-22-2005, 03:27 PM
#27
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Originally Posted by gavriil
Hehehe...
I almost PMed you with the link to this page
I almost PMed you with the link to this page
I wouldnt put too much faith in his view of "europeans"
02-22-2005, 03:37 PM
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Originally Posted by fdl
well junksters is the most racist bastard I know so I'm not surprised
Man, the stories my dad would tell about being a buyer or a seller...
He says the Italians would always threaten to end talks completely at anytime... then would be a buddy-buddy again in ten seconds...
Brits were pushovers, and they would actually tell you their breaking point, so he knew what mark he was trying to hit...
Germans would put ONE set of numbers on the table... the end. But my dad said there was no haggling because the numbers were usually a compromise for both sides. Plus, the peeps were super friendly because my father spoke german and knew alot about german literature and music.
French... he dealt with French Jews and he said they were horrible. He broke four deals with the two companies because they would always try and change the terms on the day of signing... he thinks that's french peeps in general in some aspects.
Danish and Dutch were pretty fair, but they always ask for some personal favors... like extra for his or her family or something...
Chinese are hard, he says, because they always have something up their sleeves. He said teh best approach is to go in knowing that they are skimming some off somewhere down the line.
The Japanese, they bargain... they always think there is a way to drive the price down. But my dad says after the deal is done, they would always take him out for drinks and dinner.
meh... I have nothing against the Jewish peeps. My boss is jewish, and he's cool. Alot of my friends from tennis were jewish, and they were spoiled, but not asshats...
Junkster, who has his prejudices
02-22-2005, 03:43 PM
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fair enough junkster. Its just not a good idea to make huge generalizations based on a small number of personal experiences. (or any number actually). Its certainly not easy to get out of this habbit, but I'm sure you realize its not right.
Anyways, lets not digress too much here and leave this for R&P.
Anyways, lets not digress too much here and leave this for R&P.
02-22-2005, 04:27 PM
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Originally Posted by fdl
fair enough junkster. Its just not a good idea to make huge generalizations based on a small number of personal experiences. (or any number actually). Its certainly not easy to get out of this habbit, but I'm sure you realize its not right.
Anyways, lets not digress too much here and leave this for R&P.
Anyways, lets not digress too much here and leave this for R&P.
Junksta, who thinks some of the euro generalization works about 70% of the time
02-23-2005, 06:06 PM
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I love their styling too. Now if they bring this concept here to the US, I would jump on it. Also RDX/MDX is gonna have serious trouble. Then again, they might price themselves out of the RDX/MDX range.
http://www.supercars.net/cars/2003@$Alfa%20Romeo@$Kamal%20Conceptx.html
http://www.supercars.net/cars/2003@$Alfa%20Romeo@$Kamal%20Conceptx.html
03-07-2005, 11:51 AM
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Alfa in no hurry to come to North America; management team, European dealerships higher priorities - - LUCA CIFERRI | Automotive News Europe - - Source: Autoweek
GENEVA -- Alfa Romeo's new CEO said the Italian sports car brand wants to return to the United States, but he declined to set a date.
"North America is a must for a brand like Alfa Romeo, but the date of our return now is just hypothetical," said Karl-Heinz Kalbfell at the Geneva auto show.
The former BMW and Rolls-Royce executive joined Alfa Romeo Jan. 1. Last month, Kalbfell also was named CEO of Maserati, replacing Martin Leach.
While North America is tempting, it is not a high priority for Kalbfell. First he wants to create a management team, strengthen the dealership network in Europe and expand in Asia.
Kalbfell will bring in three or four seasoned outsiders to reshape Alfa Romeo. The first will arrive May 1, taking over sales in all of Europe except Italy. The second will oversee sales outside Europe.
Kalbfell said he was disappointed with the dealership network he found when he took over Alfa Romeo. "With the current dealer network we have, we could sell just 12,000 Brera coupes a year," he said. "With a proper dealer network, to sell twice that number would be achievable."
Alfa Romeo sold fewer than 6,000 units of its flagship 166 last year, a number Kalbfell called intolerable. He added that Alfa Romeo would remain a player in the upper-premium segment with a 166 replacement he dubbed the 169.
He declined to say whether that car would be based on a stretched version of the Premium platform used for the 159 and the Brera, or whether it would use the Maserati Quattroporte platform.
With regard to Asia, Kalbfell said he wants Alfa Romeo to expand in Japan and enter China. He said: "The 166 is homologated for China, but it is not sold there, and I didn't find anyone here able to explain to me why."
"North America is a must for a brand like Alfa Romeo, but the date of our return now is just hypothetical," said Karl-Heinz Kalbfell at the Geneva auto show.
The former BMW and Rolls-Royce executive joined Alfa Romeo Jan. 1. Last month, Kalbfell also was named CEO of Maserati, replacing Martin Leach.
While North America is tempting, it is not a high priority for Kalbfell. First he wants to create a management team, strengthen the dealership network in Europe and expand in Asia.
Kalbfell will bring in three or four seasoned outsiders to reshape Alfa Romeo. The first will arrive May 1, taking over sales in all of Europe except Italy. The second will oversee sales outside Europe.
Kalbfell said he was disappointed with the dealership network he found when he took over Alfa Romeo. "With the current dealer network we have, we could sell just 12,000 Brera coupes a year," he said. "With a proper dealer network, to sell twice that number would be achievable."
Alfa Romeo sold fewer than 6,000 units of its flagship 166 last year, a number Kalbfell called intolerable. He added that Alfa Romeo would remain a player in the upper-premium segment with a 166 replacement he dubbed the 169.
He declined to say whether that car would be based on a stretched version of the Premium platform used for the 159 and the Brera, or whether it would use the Maserati Quattroporte platform.
With regard to Asia, Kalbfell said he wants Alfa Romeo to expand in Japan and enter China. He said: "The 166 is homologated for China, but it is not sold there, and I didn't find anyone here able to explain to me why."
03-07-2005, 11:54 AM
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Sounds like someone is talking some sense within Alfa for once. I totally agree that for a brand to enter the USA market, they have to be flawless abroad (based on "standards abroad"). So fix Alfa in Europe and Asia and then examine the North American case.
Also, this guys sounds like he is bringing "his buddies" within Alfa mgt. Which is typical and there is nothing wrong with it. Let's see what happens two years from now.
Also, this guys sounds like he is bringing "his buddies" within Alfa mgt. Which is typical and there is nothing wrong with it. Let's see what happens two years from now.
06-12-2005, 03:20 PM
#37
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Alfa Romeo Positions Executive to Run North America Operations
Alfa Romeo Positions Executive to Run North America Operations - - Source: Edmunds.com
CHANTILLY, Va. — Rolls-Royce executive James G. Selwa, who relaunched that luxury-car company in the United States under BMW AG three years ago, has been tapped to run Fiat Auto's Maserati and Alfa Romeo brands in North America.
The move signals the widely anticipated return of the Italian brand Alfa Romeo to the U.S.
Selwa was chosen by former BMW and Rolls-Royce chief Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, who is running Alfa Romeo worldwide.
Kalbfell confirmed earlier this year that Alfa plans to return to the U.S., but would not give a timetable. He said, "North America is a must for a brand like Alfa Romeo."
Selwa has a proven track record for start-ups, reports Automotive News. The 53-year-old Selwa is credited with establishing the Rolls-Royce import organization and dealer network in North America, after the brand was relaunched in January 2003.
The move signals the widely anticipated return of the Italian brand Alfa Romeo to the U.S.
Selwa was chosen by former BMW and Rolls-Royce chief Karl-Heinz Kalbfell, who is running Alfa Romeo worldwide.
Kalbfell confirmed earlier this year that Alfa plans to return to the U.S., but would not give a timetable. He said, "North America is a must for a brand like Alfa Romeo."
Selwa has a proven track record for start-ups, reports Automotive News. The 53-year-old Selwa is credited with establishing the Rolls-Royce import organization and dealer network in North America, after the brand was relaunched in January 2003.
06-12-2005, 11:09 PM
#39
The sizzle in the Steak
The move signals the widely anticipated return of the Italian brand Alfa Romeo to the U.S.
