The Alfa Romeo Giulia is proving to be the critically well-received sedan the company has been sorely needing as it rolls out into markets across the world, the hot 375kW Quadrifoglio Verde version is also garnering praise left and right.
Naturally, then, many thought a return to the estate body style would be the natural next step following these encouraging first outings, a notion supported by the reveal of the company’s first SUV, the Stelvio, itself based on the Giulia.
But, according to CAR Magazine, Alfredo Altavilla, COO of is the EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) division of Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (Alfa’s parent company), revealed that they have canned any existing efforts made to explore a revival to the Sportwagon nameplate.
Altavilla questioned the necessity of a wagon variant of the Giulia since the Stelvio can sate any added practical needs, especially since they have already engineered the SUV to drive nearly as well as the saloon. He said: “With our fine-tuning, the Stelvio can capture all the people who would otherwise have been interested in the SW.”
Alfa’s ambitious revival plans factors heavily on its ability to create a renewed interest in customers and establishing themselves as a viable alternative to customers - in the case of the Giulia - the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Jaguar XE, Lexus IS, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Furthermore, the Stelvio’s release is a inevitability as the crossover market itself is the most popular and growth-heavy in this automotive climate. More and more people are choosing a crossover or an SUV and pretty soon it could be the next ‘standard’ body style most people think of when buying a new car, a mental pedestal that is currently occupied by the four-door sedan.
Expending additional effort to building the Giulia Sportwagon when the market demand isn’t as palpable doesn’t really make sense, at least for now, it seems. Alfa Romeo’s prosperity hinges them not having to suffer even a lukewarm reaction to the limited stable of vehicles they will have in the short term, and unfortunately the buying population isn’t all too keen on wagons.
Alfa Romeo’s newly rebuilt Cassino factory in central Italy is planned to churn out 1,260 cars per day, and as production ramps up, will be critical in meeting the demand that both the Giulia and - envetually - the Stelvio have (or will have) cultivated.
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