Photo: SB-Medien
This isn't just an odd looking Fiat 500L with black and white spots all over. Well, it is, but it's also the chassis testing mule for the first SUV in Alfa Romeo history.
The first of anything is kind of a big deal, such as the first man to walk on the Moon, the first Apple phone or the first guy to hook up with Rihanna. The same is true for Alfa Romeo, a company struggling to balance heritage with modern trends.
Though it used to be considered a top player in the premium market, Alfa lost its powerful sedans and stuck with two little hatchbacks for many years. Now, they're launching models in quick succession, thanks to lots of money from parent company Fiat-Chrysler.
First comes the Giulia sedan, which was shown a couple of months ago and will enter production in 2016, followed by the yet unnamed SUV.
Even though the model is disguised as a Fiat 500L, it's actually going to be quite big, probably somewhere in the region of 4.6 meters from bumper to bumper. It won't look like a dorky Cinquecento either, as the Giulia shows lines all the future Alfas will share.
0.9 TwinAir? Heck no, think much bigger. As a D-segment model, the Alfa SUV will rely almost exclusively on the 2-liter turbo setup that all its rivals share.
First, there's a 2-liter turbo petrol that's going to offer 180, 250 and 330 PS. As for the diesel versions, they will include 2.2-liter units rated at 135, 180 or 210 PS.
For more power, Italian engineers are also working on a 3.0 V6 twin-turbo diesel that will be available with 340 PS. It's not yet clear what gearbox options will be used, but we're likely to see a 9-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels.
The SUV is crucial to Alfa's future growth. An ambitious 400,000 sales target has been set for 2018. Considering they only managed 74,000 registered throughout 2013, the 4x4 will need to walk on water or turn grass clippings into gasoline.
Though it used to be considered a top player in the premium market, Alfa lost its powerful sedans and stuck with two little hatchbacks for many years. Now, they're launching models in quick succession, thanks to lots of money from parent company Fiat-Chrysler.
First comes the Giulia sedan, which was shown a couple of months ago and will enter production in 2016, followed by the yet unnamed SUV.
Even though the model is disguised as a Fiat 500L, it's actually going to be quite big, probably somewhere in the region of 4.6 meters from bumper to bumper. It won't look like a dorky Cinquecento either, as the Giulia shows lines all the future Alfas will share.
0.9 TwinAir? Heck no, think much bigger. As a D-segment model, the Alfa SUV will rely almost exclusively on the 2-liter turbo setup that all its rivals share.
First, there's a 2-liter turbo petrol that's going to offer 180, 250 and 330 PS. As for the diesel versions, they will include 2.2-liter units rated at 135, 180 or 210 PS.
For more power, Italian engineers are also working on a 3.0 V6 twin-turbo diesel that will be available with 340 PS. It's not yet clear what gearbox options will be used, but we're likely to see a 9-speed automatic sending power to all four wheels.
The SUV is crucial to Alfa's future growth. An ambitious 400,000 sales target has been set for 2018. Considering they only managed 74,000 registered throughout 2013, the 4x4 will need to walk on water or turn grass clippings into gasoline.
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