Alfa Romeo and Jeep Will Share a Platform to Save FCA Some Dough

by Matt Posky

Published: February 2nd, 2017

alfa romeo and jeep will share a platform to save fca some dough

Relaunching Alfa Romeo has been an expensive undertaking for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, and the brand continues to hemorrhage cash while FCA scrambles to get the Giulia and upcoming Stelvio into driveways. While discussing the company’s fourth-quarter earnings, CEO Sergio Marchionne confirmed that Alfa was a financial vortex last year and will remain that way until Americans see more than just the occasional 4C cruising down the boulevard.

It cost a fortune to develop the Giorgio platform that underpins the new Alfa models — Marchionne claims FCA spent $2.7 billion on the relaunch. To recoup some of those expenses, the brand is going to share its fancy new bones with Maserati, Dodge, and Jeep vehicles.

Automotive News reports that Marchionne said Giorgio will become part of “the whole Maserati development beyond 2018,” as well as underpinning Dodge vehicles and some larger Jeep models. However, he didn’t elaborate on how large. Rumors about Giorgio replacing the aged LX platform have become increasingly common and typically include the caveat that the updated cars would be smaller in stature. If full-sized Chargers and Challengers would likely be scaled down to accommodate the platform after 2020, what does that mean for “larger” Jeeps?

Inside sources at FCA confessed to Auto News that the Journey and Durango will also make use of the platform — meaning the Grand Cherokee is likely as big as Giorgio will go.

Fiat Chrysler will be throwing the framework around rather liberally. Maserati will use a modified version of the platform on its models, including the next GrandTurismo, Alferi, Quattroporte and Ghibli, with the possibly of an entirely new midsize SUV. Alfa is planning eight new Giorgio-based models of its own and there is wind of an all-new midsized Dodge car, too.

“The investment in Alfa Romeo and certainly the technical investment in the architecture was something that was designed to benefit more than Alfa,” Marchionne said. “I’m happy that we have finally found clarity of thought in the extension of these architectures well beyond Alfa.”

In 2014, FCA claimed that it would invest 5 billion euros into Alfa Romeo and expand its annual sales volume to 400,000 units by 2018. Facing troubles over brand’s relaunching, Alfa delayed that timeline to 2020 and abandoned any specific volume targets.

[Image: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles]

#AlfaRomeo #Dodge #Fca #Fiat.Chrysler #GiorgioPlatform #Jeep #Maserati

Matt Posky

Consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulations. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Since adding automotive writing to his repertoire, he has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, discussed the status of the automotive sector on national broadcasts, participated in a few amateur rallying events, and driven more rental cars than anyone should ever have to. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and learned to drive by twelve. Alleged to be contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer and motorcycles.

More by Matt Posky

Comments

Join the conversation

7 of 23 comments

Zackman on Feb 02, 2017

Please, FCA, go away and die already. Nobody wants your junk. When you lather on the lipstick so thick it cracks, you know you're finished. The U.S. Government didn't want to save Chrysler for a good reason.

Like Reply
- See 3 previous
- JimZ on Feb 02, 2017
  
  "Nobody wants your junk." Yeah, FCA sold 2.2 million cars and trucks last year because "nobody wants them." Internet Car People like you are as clueless as you are shrill.
  
  Like
- Danio3834 on Feb 02, 2017
  
  Fanboy haterade conjecture. I suppose we all need to wobble in order to be seen as knowledgeable critics. The quality gulf between a Lexus and a Fiat is small in terms that matter to consumers. Less than 1 "problem" difference in 3 years
  
  Like
- Eyeflyistheeye on Feb 04, 2017
  
  JimZ, the general tone of everything you post sounds like the ramblings of an individual perpetually experiencing PMS. Anyways, FCA is such an outstanding company with insane profits and critically-acclaimed reliable vehicles and they built new factories to increase production of class-leading Dart and 200. Oh, wait.
  
  Like
- Eyeflyistheeye on Feb 04, 2017
  
  @danio3834 Yup, it's either the Democrats/Republicans/Internet critics/David Miscavige (take your pick here) that are biased against FCA and that's why the 500L has the lowest resale value of any vehicle in America and why most Cherokee owners swore they wouldn't buy another one with the profligate quality issues that they're suffering with. I mean, quality and reliability has to be THAT bad since the Cherokee is a pretty nice vehicle. Hell, I rented one last year and loved it so much that I seriously considered buying a Cherokee until looking at owner forums and owner reports, I didn't think it was a good idea or even wondered why I should be subjected to Sergio's vehicular Hunger Games where it's either I have a great car or a rolling turd on wheels. It's 2017 and everyone else has figured out how to do consistent quality. Or why even the managers at the Enterprise my company rents from curse when they get more Promasters and Promaster Minis since they end up with problems than their counterparts from Ford and Nissan don't.
  
  Like
MRF 95 T-Bird on Feb 02, 2017

Really not that different than the VW group MQB platform which will be the base of all of their vehicles by 2018-2020.

Like Reply
- Lorenzo on Feb 02, 2017
  
  Well, it's different from the OLD Giulia platform that was stretched and widened into Dart and 200, and jacked up into the Compass/Patriot. This is a NEW, more ADVANCED platform to stretch and widen and jack up.
  
  Like

Recent Comments

MaintenanceCosts We need a $15k EV, probably a tall hatch, that satisfies US safety standards with reasonable comfort and durability and a warranty. That would actually be affordable to the median wage earner.
Calrson Fan I'll take a simple over cheap. Although that should equate to cheap or at least cheaper. I'm so over all the useless & intrusive tech. common in today's cars & trucks. Which is why I drive older stuff. We need more vehicles geared towards simplicity and longevity, like the Slate. if that ever makes it to market. As I once heard on American Hot Rod, less is more. Isn't that the truth!
28-Cars-Later Maybe it will eventually change but as of right now even if you spend the money to build these stations everywhere, if the electricity sold is 100%+ of what its sold for in residential rates it will never take off. To a degree a convenience charge amount (of not 100%) could fly but smart owners will understand the trade off and limit their use of it. Those without home charging capabilities simply won't continue to pay through the nose on electricity - a utility of which has skyrocketed even wholesale and I suspect will continue to do so.
KOKing Need and want are definitely different, especially today. Not only are relative expectations different from 40-50yrs ago, but used cars' value/features/quality probably make them more attractive options than a couple generations ago. I suspect for the same $21k as a Hyundai Venue, a lot of people would choose a ~5yr old Ford Explorer instead. Today's gas prices might make some think twice, but a lot of the same people probably won't think as far as repair costs.I think something interesting to look at in other global markets where historically cheap, small cars continue to be available, where cheap Chinese cars are becoming available, whether the latter end up quickly displacing the former in the low-cost segment long-term (I suspect yes).
Lorenzo What the American market needs is a 1997 Honda Civic EX in coupe or sedan form, fully loaded like in 1997 at 1997 prices ($19K) or a slightly bigger 1997 Nissan Altima GXE sedan with the larger 2.4L engine and reliable Jatco automatic for about the same price. I have owned both, and wish I had either one back so I could get rid of the keyless Cr**p, the drive-by-wire, and the touch screen, and operate the car myself with buttons and knobs..