What's Wrong With This Picture: Alfa's SUV Plans Parody Themselves Edition

by Edward Niedermeyer

Published: June 30th, 2010

what s wrong with this picture alfa s suv plans parody themselves edition

Alfa’s been talking about selling an SUV for years now, as the brand has thrashed around looking for a rescue line. Now, a long-rumored ute named Kamal (after an Alfa SUV concept) has finally materialized at Alfa’s 100-year anniversary, looking an awful lot like a BMW X1. In fact, it is a BMW X1 with tacked-on Alfa cues. If this is a sign that Alfa fans are desperate for an SUV, their dreams will come true. Automotive News [sub] reports that SUVs are a crucial component of Alfa’s plan to sell half a million cars per year by 2014, up from just over 100k last year. A small SUV, to be built by Chrysler and imported to Europe, will start sales in 2012, with another, larger ute (based on the next Jeep Libery) planned for 2014. In other words, look for rebadged Chryslers to rescue Alfa’s SUV dreams rather than a taped-off BMW. No wonder analysts are so skeptical of Alfa’s turnaround plans, telling AN [sub]

The potential of the (Alfa) brand is huge, but to multiply sales fivefold in five years they probably also will need to sell cars on the Moon and on Mars

#AlfaRomeo #BMW #Branding #Chrysler #Fiat #FutureVehicles #SUV #X1

Edward Niedermeyer

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3 of 19 comments

Gsnfan on Jun 30, 2010

At this rate, will we see Ferrari SUVs?

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- Signal11 on Jun 30, 2010
  
  Lamborghini already beat them to the punch. By decades.
  
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Garak on Jun 30, 2010

At least the name is fitting: "kamala" means "awful" in Finnish.

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