Automotive News revealed spy shots of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio yesterday.
The image shows a car well-clad in black vinyl sheeting and foam packing that somewhat disguises the vehicle’s finer features. What they don’t hide is the grille or front bumper themes, the rising waistline or silhouette. By and large I’d be surprised if I was surprised by the final form of the Stelvio. I would not be surprised at all if the Stelvio sells in greater numbers than the Giulia saloon.
I am sure you are right about relative sales performance and I am almost surprised that this car did not come before the Giulia. That’s probably the only thing that will be surprising about this late to the party, me-too car (as opposed to MiTo car … I thank you).
The Stelvio doesn´t excite me in the least way. I´d like to be wrong. Maybe 430,000 other people will feel differently every year.
The Stelvio? I’ll give it a pass…. boom, boom.
Nicely played, mo maaan!
After what I’ve read today about Austrian border checkpoints and their reception in Italy, they probably should’ve named it differently.
Oh, my bad, that checkpoint is of course planned on the Brenner, not on the Stelvio, which is entirely Italian.
If a new Alfa Romeo actually comes to market under Sergio’s tenure, it’ll amaze me. FCA is devoid of developmental money and the quality of its machinery is abysmal. Source? My best pal is warranty manager at a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/RAM/Fiat dealer and has been for nigh 20 years. At the moment they sell Jeeps and RAM trucks like no tomorrow, but a nominally $48K RAM sells for $35K if you flash the green. After which it spends a couple of days in service being screwed together properly. Chrysler’s Dart and 200 cars are soon to be no more as in no longer manufactured, and if you drove one you’d know why. I have.
The upshot is that FCA makes almost no money and tries to make it up with volume and cheap parts. The 500, 500L – a real stinker in both looks and performance, and the new 500X are bottom of the barrel quality even compared to Jeep and RAM. You cannot give away the 500X in Canada – sales amounted to a total of 125 units in the first three months of 2016. Compare that to 2,017 Mazda CX-3 sales. Goodcarbadcar.net.
Last week, Elkann, Sergio’s nominal boss and the Agnelli’s bagman, joined hands with his subordinate in once again banging their tin cups looking for merger partners. Issue 843
http://www.autoextremist.com/
You have to ask yourself how long this charade can possibly last. Perhaps it all seems so far away in Europe, but unless this outfit can move some Alfa metal in North America all the hoping in the world won’t help. And if it’s screwed together like other FCA products, well …