Alfa Romeo boss cares about sports cars, but popular models come first

Unlike previous management modes, Alfa Romeo wanted to learn the basics before tapping into the past for model inspiration.

In an interview with AutocarAlfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said his team is “working to the potential once and for all”. [sports car projects]And check out the Spider Duetto and T33 Stradale names.

Imparato then lowered expectations by saying that any work on potential sports cars is being done “in parallel” with a primary focus on “creation of value, in terms of pricing power, of residual value”.

Only once Alfa Romeo returns and proves that it can deliver on its promised products and become a profitable business will Imparato approach Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to “talk about some cars.” dream”.

Following the mold set forth by Tavares and which Imparato implemented during his time in charge of Peugeot, Alfa is now pursuing profit, not quantity.

He admitted European Automotive News Alfa Romeo has set BMW as its global pricing standard.

“For me, pricing is not a selling tool, it is a lever to elevate a brand’s standing. You can’t build a premium brand if you’re pressured to go big,” Imparato told the trade publication.

In addition to reducing inventory and having realistic production goals, Imparato and his small Alfa team are working to launch five new cars between here and 2027.

The company has launched Tonale small cross last week. This will be a “business major event” in 2023 and a Tonale crossover event in 2024.

The new model is expected to be named the Brennero and will be available with the brand’s first pure EV powertrain option. Based on PSA’s CMP architecture, the Brennero will also be sold with an internal combustion engine, at least initially.

Starting in 2025, all of the company’s new models will be designed exclusively with electric motors. The first two cars in Alfa’s EV-only era will replace the Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossovers, both of which will be based on the STLA Large architecture supporting both rear- and all-wheel drive formats.

Alfa’s boss says that while “we haven’t made our choice yet” on the brand’s fifth model, he’s heavily hinting that it could be a one or two-inch crossover coupe or crossover. compared to Stelvio.

By 2027, the company plans to have a range of all-electric vehicles, largely thanks to the new car CO2 target proposed by the EU.

While Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW will continue to offer models with internal combustion engines in some markets after their European product lines go all-electric, Mr. Imparato said. Alfa Romeo cannot support “two separate product lines”, possibly due to its smaller size and dire financial situation.

Indeed, Volvo and Lexus are planning to go all-electric, with the Swedish marque doing so in 2030 and the Japanese marque planning to join the club in 2035.