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The new Alfa Romeo
Giulietta is already proving to be the big hit that
brand needs it to be with a report stating that the
Italian order book now stands at 22,000 units which
gives the model a strong boost after a showroom launch
less than three months ago. The order book figures come
from a Reuters report.
According to Italian
automotive trade body UNRAE the Giulietta saw
1,803 registrations on its domestic market during June,
its first month of deliveries, which at the time
provided a very welcome boost for the Alfa Romeo brand
and that planted the new model firmly as the eighth
best-seller in C-segment. Last month, its second month
of deliveries in Italy saw the Giulietta amass 2,931
registrations which allowed it to jump into third place
in C-segment behind the VW Golf (4,024) and Nissan
Qashqai (3,036) while its Fiat Group Automobiles' (FGA)
portfolio sister, the Fiat Bravo, saw its sales
continued to head sharply south, despite new engines and
some cosmetic improvements it managed only eighth place
in July and with just 1,819 registrations that was down
by almost a half on last year. The other FGA
representative in C-segment, Lancia's Delta sells
steadily just shy of one and a half thousand units a
month. The Reuters report sees the Giulietta now
moving into second place in C-segment in Italy.
This strong order book comes as welcome news. It has
long been a popular cliché that the next Alfa Romeo is
make or break for the brand and it has been tagged to
almost every model launched since the carmaker, which is
celebrating it's centenary this year, was bought by Fiat
Group mid way through the 1980s, and, despite plenty of
investment, lack of clear leadership and a focused
direction has seen the brand's fortunes decline.
Although the Fiat Group doesn't breakdown the
profitability of it's individual brands, Alfa Romeo is
believed to have never turned in a profit under Fiat's
ownership and is reputed to lose around 200 million
euros a year. Last year its volumes only just topped the
six figure mark and its niche models have declined
dramatically this year while it was revealled this month
that the Brera and Spider, which never found much favour
with consumers despite their award-winning looks, will
be discontinued next month. The 159 sedan and Sportwagon
have seen sales collapse this year on all markets and
the MiTo has never broken out of its niche appeal and
has also been a key loser since Europe-wide
state-supported "Eco" incentives were wound down this
spring. It all leaves the Giulietta with a very big task
on it's hands - as well as a hard act to follow - it
succeeds the Alfa 147 which was a strong seller during
an almost a decade long life and one of the brand's
biggest hits in recent years - and it also slots into
the strategically important C-segment
The portents for the Giulietta are very promising
though: based on a highly sophisticated new-generation
of platform, C-Evo, and with an optimised range of
launch petrol and diesel engines (initial engine
line-ups has often been a mistake made by Alfa Romeo in
the past) the five-door hatchback has won glowing
reports from the media and it's styling has been widely
acclaimed.
Now it seems that Italian car buyers are also giving it
the thumbs up with 22,000 orders being at the top end of
predictions. It went on sale in Italy in late May and
its arrival in the showrooms kicked off with an "open
day" right across the 200-strong Italian dealer network.
That weekend (May 22-23) saw 90,000 visitors turn up,
taking 10,000 test drives over the 200 cars available,
and 2,700 firm orders taken. The success of the
initiative saw the "open day" concept rolled through to
the next weekend and by the time that had closed more
than 20,000 test drives had been made and the order book
stood at more than 5,000 units.
Over the coming months the Giulietta will arrive on
other key European new car markets, including Germany,
France and the UK, and if the brand does get a green
light for the constantly "on-off" North American
re-launch then the future restyled Giulietta is very
likely to be a candidate to join any stateside line-up.
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