By Edward Niedermeyer
May 23, 2008
In an interview with Auto Motor und Sport, Alfa-Romeo boss Luca De Meo revealed plans to relaunch as a global brand, an effort which involves offering a new SUV in 2010 and eventually, hybrid options. With potential customers in China, Japan, Australia and the U.S.A. in mind, de Meo wants to increase volume with the Mi.To, earn respect with the 8C Competizione, go green with stop-start technology, and pander to American tastes with an SUV. The SUV, currently in development under the name CX-over, will be "compact" says de Meo, with a production goal of 40k units per year and a price of about $40k. De Meo seems unfazed by the dismal American market (particularly for SUVs), which Alfa will likely enter in 2010, saying he is "convinced that no brand can afford to not be represented there." De Meo admits that decisions about a dealer network haven't been made yet, and that the firm still needs a large sedan, an automatic transmission and a six-cylinder engine to achieve its strategic goals. Interestingly, Alfa will forgo a major marketing campaign. "Alfa Romeo is not a brand that requires huge marketing budgets," says de Meo, "the brand is known worldwide." Yeah, for frequent breakdowns, insufficient dealer networks and head-spinning depreciation. Saying Alfa will never be an "Eco-brand," de Meo nonetheless sees stop-start technology as an unobtrusive way to improve efficiency, and will offer it in 2009 or 2010. Hybrid options are much further off, and will come from Fiat's developments of the technology.
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POWERED
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Alfa Romeo is not a brand that requires huge marketing budgets,” says de Meo, “the brand is known worldwide.” Yeah,
Res ipsa locquitur
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:02 pm
Great! So you go off roading, very fast, very quickly, then it falls apart halfway up a mountain, leaving your stranded.
But what a ride…….!
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
Yeah, this is really, really the wrong time for this.
May 23rd, 2008 at 2:26 pm
If they expect to be a major player in the US market, they better fork out a bunch of ad money, especially to get established here. I think they have an Euro-sentric view of the world, and will crash and burn big time if they don’t realize the vast differences between Europe and America.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Google Fu Says:
Res ipsa locquitur is apparently actually spelled
Res ipsa loquitur
“the facts speak for themselves.”
+5 for smartypants latin usage
-10 for incorrect spelling.
May 23rd, 2008 at 3:08 pm
Arriving to the SUV party a bit late.
Of course the narrow top demographic they are targeting really don’t care about the price of gas. When you are blowing 200k on a car you don’t much care if it costs $4k or 10k per year to fuel it.
May 23rd, 2008 at 7:53 pm
mamma mia. if porsche can sell 100,000 dollar suvs here, so can they i guess. at least they will be pretty.
deus ex bella machina
May 23rd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
When Saab, after holding back for years, launched their SUV, I thought they’d be the last.
Then came the Cayenne (pretty much at the same time, actually.)
And wouldn’t you know it, Audi had to make one, as if they needed it, after having pretty much “invented” the four wheel drive station wagon.
And now Alfa. Someone please tell them that the last thing the world wants is an Alfa SUV.