Segment stalwarts won’t face Italian competition just yet.
It has been talked about since June of last year: Resurgent Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo, running hot since the introduction of its well-received Giulia saloon, would bring to market a large saloon that would have cars like the BMW 5-Series and Audi A6 in its crosshairs, promising a more involving drive and an experience that only an Alfa Romeo could provide. We were all rather excited, though it appears that we should have tempered expectations.
As has become very common with the Fiat-Chrysler group, it appears that Alfa Romeo won’t be launching its new large saloon at the end of this year, instead pushing the car all the way back to 2021. This was revealed by industry resource Automotive News, that unequivocally said that the car will be seeing a 3-year delay in its introduction.
This is likely due to one of several possibilities. Firstly, demand of the Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV has exceeded expectations (especially the latter), likely resulting in a focus-shift for the company. It would be sensible for them to look at ramping-up and streamlining production where possible, as we are all aware that FCA boss Sergio Marchionne is all about saving every penny possible.
Secondly, it’s possible that as FCA looks to sell either itself or part of its component companies, Alfa Romeo’s finances are being kept as robust as possible ahead of a possible split from the parent company. It’s been suggested by those in the know that if FCA manages to find new owners, Alfa Romeo may be spun off to ensure continued control by the Agnelli family (the main shareholders of Fiat-Chrysler Automotive), and possibly retain the stewardship of Marchionne.
Thirdly, it’s also possible that Alfa’s accountants just said that there isn’t enough of a margin to be made on this end of the market, and that they’d be better off just refining the products they’ve got until they’re in better financial health. Our guess is as good as yours.
Let’s look at what we’re giving up though: It was posited that the large saloon, rumoured to resurrect the ‘Alfetta’ name after decades, would be positioned as a more driver-focused alternative to the BMW 5-Series and Jaguar XF, potentially making way for an ‘Alfetta Quadrifoglio’ that would use the same Ferrari-derived (oops) 2.9-litre biturbo V6 found in the smaller Giulia Quadrifoglio. With 375kW and 600Nm on offer, that would give this BMW M5-contender the performance to match its peers, along with a screaming soundtrack that would blow most out of the water.
Think about that for a second, and remember to mop up the drool. To soothe any aching hearts out there, we’ve included a gallery below of the Alfa Romeo Giulia in Q2 spec, to prove that Alfa Romeos of today are just as pretty as they’ve ever been, even when not specced to the gills like the QV.
For more information on Alfa Romeo, check out our Showroom.
