Alfa Romeo Delays European Sales Launch of Giulia Sedan and SUV – Report

Kuala Lumpur: Automotive News Europe has reported that Alfa Romeo will delay the European sales launch of Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan and the upcoming Giulia-based SUV, according to sources. The Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan was supposed to be launched in Europe at the end of this year, but now it will now go on sale in the middle of next year, which is six months later than the original plan, as the Italian Automaker is busy in refining the ride and safety features of the car. The regular Giulia will be launched in 2016, as planned. Also, the Giulia-based SUV will not hit the market until 2017 and the American debut of both cars is set six months after their European launch.

Speaking at the conference call on October 28, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) CEO, Sergio Marchionne, has said that the company is re-examining Alfa’s global expansion because of the slowdown in China. He reaffirmed a planned five billion euro investment announced in May 2014 to boost Alfa’s annual global sales to 400,000 units with eight new models but said that the investment will be completed in 2019/2020. Alfa Romeo is not present in China and the FCA is yet to set a date for its debut in the world's largest market.

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The revival plan of Alfa Romeo originally allocated about 20% of the 400,000 target to the Middle Kingdom, but now a large portion of that will now have to be absorbed by other regions. The company will work hard in the next 30-60 days to review its business plan and may launch new vehicles in a different order to meet its customers' tastes in Europe and North America, Marchionne told analysts after FCA's announcement of third-quarter results. He also added that the company may announce a revised sequence in January.

The masterplan of the Italian automaker includes eight new models, expected to include a Giulietta replacement, a sedan larger than the Giulia besides large and compact SUVs. The European sales launch delay of the first two of the eight cars suggests that Alfa Romeo is unlikely to hit the ambitious 400,000 unit target in 2018. IHS Automotive has predicted slightly more than 230,000 annual sales by then, which is up from 68,000 last year.

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