Alfa to Dump FWD Chassis Across the Board, Go Full RWD?

[YSSMAN]

According to Autoblog, it might be the case...

Europeans should be dancing in their nearest piazza, as Alfa Romeo is ditching its front-drive MiTo and Giulietta to return to its rear-drive roots, according to a report from the UK's Car. The switch is expected to happen in 2015, and is meant to bring Alfa Romeo closer to Maserati.

Car is claiming that a 3 Series-fighting Alfa will hit the streets first, followed by a larger model to contend with the 5 Series. After that, Alfa will field a pair of SUVs, its first models of that body style. We sincerely hope all of these cars come with sweet-sounding, high-revving six-cylinder engines.

Well, that would certainly explain the delays in getting the US market cars ready. Furthermore, it would certainly differentiate them further from what is currently offered by Fiat and Dodge, and what'll likely be offered here in the US going forward.

So, Alfa as a BMW rival? Or is it a middle-weight luxury marque like Volvo and Acura that has some serious sporting credentials?

 

[homeforsummer]

Now I can't help but think about a modern-day version of this:

...based on the next Alfa to definitely be RWD, the MX-5-based sports car. Who wouldn't love an Alfa Romeo rival to the BRZ/FR-S?

As for positioning, I'd say the latter. Unfortunately I'm not sure Alfa has the reputation these days to hit BMW head-on, but as a classy, sporty brand it's easily got the chops.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

Alfa is something else entirely compared to other 'premium' brands and I do not believe they should try to copy BMW with the all rwd thing. There have been some genuinely brilliant fwd Alfa's the last few decades and to completely abandon that I think is a mistake. I do think their larger cars should be rwd, but killing all fwd seems like a bad idea to me. Alfa is Alfa, and part of that charm is the entertaining small town cars like the original Alfasud.

Edit: ^^A modern day version of the GT-A is very appealing, however.

 

[Wolfe]

If I was still a teenager I would be positively ecstatic about this news. Nowadays, I'm more inclined to echo Eunos_Cosmo's sentiment that Alfa would be a bit daft to just drop FWD entirely. While I enthusiastically support a shift toward more RWD cars, there are some applications where it doesn't make a compelling case for itself, and the failure of those models contributes to the industry's general aversion to the layout.

That said, I would love to see Alfa Romeo make some more RWD cars again.

 

[homeforsummer]

Indeed, having done my dreaming above I think it'd be wrong for Alfa to drop something like the Mito, at the very least. It's a fun little thing and as above, it does hark back to cars like the Sud.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

And I'd be sad if they dumped the desperately pretty Giulietta.

 

[SagarisGTB]

I welcome this mostly. Alfas are supposed to be drivers cars and drivers cars, especially at modern power levels, are best when RWD. However, I think the MiTo (and maybe even the Giulietta, though probably not) should stay FWD for cost and packaging reasons.

 

[niky]

The news sounds great... but I pretty much agree that dropping FWD is daft, unless Alfa figures it can position itself very far upmarket... which it currently can't.

A Miata based 2+2 with a selection of small engines would certainly hit the spot. I'd even forgive them for going outright retro while doing it.

 

[05XR8]

i'd welcome a return of the Milano. Any 155-sized Alfa.

Beginning with the new roadster was smart and with their current FWD cars, they already have new buyers. I'd rather Alfa aim at the 1-series, dropping the FWD and incorporating an all RWD(if they continue to be smart about it) line-up may just bring some older fans back.

 

[psntomaz]

With the 4C being the new Image maker for Alfa Romeo. they have no where else to go but up. That and the Miata based Spider. They already said that a Midsized Sedan would be priced right with or Cheaper than a BMW 3 Series. Like the 4C. a Midsize Sedan wouldnt need to have high horsepower. it just needs to have better handling and be Light.. a 240hp 1.8L Turbo 4 sounds right in a Alfa Midsize sedan. . it should be that Expensive even when topped out.

 

[White & Nerdy]

I approve of this decision. Push >>>> pull any day of the week.