Alexandre
The Giulietta question at Alfa Romeo seems definitively settled. About two weeks ago, Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo's new CEO, put an end to rumors about the return of the brand's iconic compact. In an interview with L'ArgusHe stated unequivocally that there was no room for a new Giulietta in today's market. The future, in his opinion, belongs to SUVs, and it's with the Tonale that the Giulietta makes way.
The Giulietta, once a flagship model for Alfa Romeo, has seen its sales plummet with the arrival of SUVs. Indeed, after selling over 482,000 units between 2010 and 2020, its production was definitively halted in December 2020. According to Ficili, " the Giulietta is today's Tonale. The compact SUV has thus taken over from the former compact, becoming the brand's key model in this segment.
However, this decision does not mean that Alfa Romeo has completely abandoned the compact sedan segment. As a reminder, in the spring of 2023, Jean-Philippe Imparato, the former CEO of Alfa Romeo, mentioned the possibility of relaunching a compact car if conditions were favorable. For the time being, however, no compact model is planned before 2028, priority being given to the Junior SUV and the renewal of the Stelvio and Giulia models.
"The C-segment for Alfa Romeo won't just be Tonale . What I want to make is... an Alfetta" Jean-Philippe Imparato, March 2023
And that's where the Alfetta comes in, the real novelty that could succeed the Giulietta. While the Giulietta seems well and truly out of reach, a separate project, that of the Alfetta, still seems to be on track, for Imparato has mentioned an Alfetta, while Ficili evokes a Giulietta, and these are two different models.
The Giulietta, code name A2H, was to be launched more or less at the same time as the Tonale, codenamed A4U, on the STLA Medium platform in 2027. However, the Giulietta may have been cancelled due to the high price of vehicles on the STLA Medium platform. Considering models like the Peugeot 3008, which starts at €36,000 for the 136 hp hybrid version, it's easy to see why the Giulietta, which would have been similarly priced on this platform, might have had difficulty attracting a wide audience.
This is where we see the Alfetta project, codenamed A2X, comes into play. It could be Alfa Romeo's answer to the C segment. Based on the STLA Small platform, which is the evolution of the eCMP platform (used by the Junior), the Alfetta could offer a compact, lighter and more affordable model. In our latest Alfa Romeo product planWe estimated that it could be launched in 2029. Lastly, as we reported yesterday that thehe Fiat Panda would no longer be on STLA Smallthis leaves an opportunity for this Alfetta to be produced in Italy at Pomigliano d'Arcoone of two as yet unknown models announced by Stellantis in 2028.
Of course, all this is just speculation based on the bits and pieces of information we have, and on our own thinking. And 2028, 2029 is still a long way off!
I have a Giulietta 170 multiair TCT, I tried the Tonale 160 I did not like its engine, too soft no character, I greatly prefer the Giulietta even the driving position and chassis ... For me the Tonale is not the replacement for the Giulietta!
What makes me laugh ( or not) since the creation of Stellantis, we get the impression that they manage everything well.
It's a disaster for Italian brands, with sales of the Tonale already plummeting, despite the fact that it never met its targets.
The Giulia and Stelvio (which for me are the real Alfa in the range) are not selling.
I received my Tonale in April 24, Alfa took back my Giulia Estrema ( I regret it) magnificent, today 10 months later, it is still for sale at Alfa.
A great deal, they lower the price, and then they lose money.
So to hear the CEO think he's making good choices???
Swapped a Giulia for a Tonale? 🤨
Schade um dieses schöne Fahrzeug...habe die Giulietta heute noch..sechs Jahre...vom Motor das beste Auto
Selling Alfa Romeo and Maserati to foreign groups is the best thing to do for these 2 prestigious brands, which are currently in the doldrums due to the incompetent management they've had for ages!
Refusing to make a Giulietta on an STLA Medium base because of insufficient volumes and cost (and weight) but making an Alfetta - a niche model - on an STLA Small base instead... and if not, wasn't a Giulietta on an STLA Small base just obvious?
And why not on an Aixam base?
To say that the Tonale replaces the Giulietta is nonsense.
A possible Giulietta in 2029 under the name Alfetta ok, but that's 5 years away.
Those who have owned or still own a MiTo, Giulietta or Giulia don't necessarily want to drive an SUV (or Crossover, in the case of the future Giulia), let alone have a PureTech under the hood.
Alfa Romeo is turning off those who really love Alfa Romeo.
It makes you wonder if Alfa Romeo's executives drive Alfa Romeos... maybe they've never bought one...
Niemand will Elektro...schon gar keinen Alfa...
Porsche hat es vorgemacht und hält am Verbrenner fest.
Europaweit werden die linksgrünen Klimaspinner abgewählt.
Die Autoindustrie sollte sich emanzipieren und Autos für die Menschen bauen, nicht für die EU-Vorgaben.
It's all very disappointing for those who love beautiful sedans and don't want to drive a truck. You really have to wonder whether those in charge of today's automotive industry have any love at all for beautiful cars. It's disappointing, to say the least, and you have to force yourself to be polite.
Ich fahre selbst einen Alfa Stelvio Bauj. 2020, bin grundsätzlich sehr zufrieden.
Das Problem bei den Alfas ist, daß beim Anschnallen die Gurthalterung, für ältere Menschen, viel zu tief unten im Sitz ist.
Vielleicht kann man bei den neuen SUV's bei der Entwicklung darüber nachdenken.
Tonale was introduced too early and marketed too late, and as if that weren't enough, with underperforming engines and an outdated chassis, including the PHEV, which may look good with its 280 hp but can't stand up to the competition.
This is how you handicap a car that was born with a magnificent design and should have found its place on the market.
As for the CEO's statements, they are designed to conceal the fact that AR does not have the financial resources to present a coherent range in every segment, like BMW for example ( 1 Series Hatch and Sedan , 2 Series Coupé , X1 thermal and electric SUV ).