Hot on the heels of promising Alfa Romeo will get a new sports car, a new pony, a new anything please god help this struggling lineup of dull cars, Fiat Chrysler states that Alfa Romeo will get an SUV in 2016.
An SUV! Now, the hottest automotive segment of the 1990s will finally, finally, finally come to the brand within FCA’s portfolio that probably has the least justification to make an SUV, short of Ferrari.
The Detroit Free Press made this report, straight from FCA honcho Sergio Marchionne’s mouth. Mister Sweater claims that preproduction work is already done and we should expect a second-half-of-next-year launch.
SUVs (or rather SUV lookalike tall hatchbacks we know as crossovers) are selling like mad worldwide, something the rest of the auto business has known for years. The modern crossover boom started about a decade and a half ago with the Mercedes ML/Lexus RX, if you’re keeping track.
Alfa Romeo itself even looked into making a crossover all the way back in 2003 with the Kamal concept, pictured above. That would have been great timing, Alfa! Instead they chose to continue building disappointing (though sometimes quite pretty) middle class cars that nobody but hardcore fans wanted.
But hey, the 4C rules and the new rear-drive not-a-Maserati-we-swear Giulia both look awesome. Maybe this SUV will be cool. It should certainly make some money.
Photo Credit: Alfa Romeo
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