Alfa Romeo Sexes Up Giulia and Stelvio for 2020

Alfa Romeo’s Giulia and Stelvio will receive a mid-cycle refresh for the 2020 model year. As is the norm with Italian models, the changes are being referenced by Western media as a sexification providing erotic pleasure to the eyes. In truth, Fiat Chrysler is simply offering both models with optional appearance kits and freshened interiors.

Then again, perhaps the true measure of automotive sexiness is finding a model you want to spend all of your spare time inside — as that’s often the benchmark with human beings.

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  • TheMrFreeze So basically no manual transmissions in US cars after 2029.I just raised one finger in the general direction of NHTSB's main office. Guess which finger it is!
  • TheMrFreeze Wife drives a Fiat 500 Turbo 5-speed (135hp vs. 160 in the Abarth), it's a lot of fun to drive and hasn't given us any headaches. Maintenance on it is not as bad as you'd think for such a cramped engine compartment...Fiat did put some thought into it in that regard. Back seat is...cramped...but the front is surprisingly roomy for what it is.I honestly wouldn't mind having one myself, but yeah, gotta have a manual trans.
  • Bkojote Tesla's in a death spiral right now. The closest analog would be Motorola circa 2007.The formula is the exact same. -Vocal CEO who came in and took credit for the foundation their predecessor while cutting said efforts behind successful projects.-A heavy reliance on price/margin cuts and heavy subsidies to keep existing stock moving. The RAZR became a $99 phone after starting out as a $399 phone, the same way a Model 3 is now a $25k car.-Increasing focus on BS projects over shipping something working and functional to distract shareholders from the failures of current products. Replace "iTunes Phone" (remember that?) with "Cybertruck" and when that's a dud focus on "Java-Linux" the same way they're now focusing "Robotaxis".-Increasingly cut away investment in quality-of-ownership things. Like Motorola, Tesla's cut cut cut away their development, engineering, and support teams. If you ever had the misfortune of using a Motorola Q you're familiar with just how miserable Tesla Autopilot is these days.-Ship less and less completed products as a preview of something new. Time and time again at CES/Trade Shows Motorola was showing half-working 'concept' devices. The Cybertruck was announced 5 years ago yet functionally is missing most of its features- and the ones it has don't work. And I mean basic stuff- the AWD logic is embarrassingly primitive. A lot of Tesla hyperbole focuses on either he's a 4D-chess playing genius visionary or all of Tesla's being propped up by gov't mandates. But the reality is this company hasn't delivered any meaningful product evolution in the better half of this past decade.
  • Pig_Iron Stellantis is looking for excuses to close plants. Shawn Fain just gave them one. 🐹
  • SCE to AUX Unresolved safety issues are a good reason to strike.