Alfa Romeo wants to double its production by the end of next year, its UK boss has told Autocar, by growing its brand among a more diverse audience.
Damien Dally told Autocar that the Italian manufacturer wants to move from an “emotion brand down to a rational one” and expand its range into more “volume” segments.
This vision starts with the Alfa Romeo Tonale compact SUV, which will hit dealerships in September, followed by a new model every year up to 2030 under new owner Stellantis.
A compact battery-electric SUV will come in 2024, tipped to be called the Brennero, ahead of Alfa Romeo ditching internal combustion engines entirely by 2027.
Dally said this is part of a move to attract a new audience, with an eye on selling to more families and females. Currently, Alfa Romeo’s main buyers are middle-aged men.
“This is the challenge for Alfa, as we're seen as a sporty brand,” Dally said, adding that the brand is still coming up with ideas to make itself more appealing, such as the Tonale’s “more accessible” 158bhp hybrid engine.
Alfa Romeo has also introduced a five-year warranty for its cars.
“I think we need to spread the Alfa story to a wider audience while still being pure to what we do,” said Dally.
Despite this new direction, Alfa's current customers and what they want are key, according to Dally, and despite the rise of the SUV market, saloons like the Guilia are still part of Alfa Romeo's future.
“Saloon cars are part of what Alfa Romeo have always [been about],” he said. “The market may be moving away from saloon cars, but we still believe in them. But we also want to enter the volume segments, firstly with the Tonale.
"Alfa Romeo is sportiness. It's Italian design. And that's what we need to be true to. Even if people carriers become popular again, I don’t see us moving into that market. It will never work [for us].”
Dally also didn’t rule out a return to sports cars in the future.
Responding to when we could see a new two-seat Alfa Romeo, he said: “Not immediately, as those are small segments, but those are cars which I’m sure everyone would love to see Alfa [produce again].
"Let's get a sustainable business model, let’s get into the volume segments, grow our business and then we can dream again.”
He continued: “We're a brand that can do incredible things. We're a car brand that can sell £150,000 cars. I think we're a car brand that could sell £500,000 cars if they were very limited models.
Join the debate
Add your comment
Surely with so many brands under the Stelantis umbrella Alfa dont need to in all segments. I cant see the Toenail being the sort of car bought by a petrolhead (as we all know, you cant call yourself a petrolhead until you have owned an Alfa, can you?) so even if it sells in decent numbers to start with it wont do the Alfa reputation any good. If you want an SUV surely there are other Stelantis brands that could offer them.
It seems to me all anyone wants to do with a well respected one 'badge' is stick it on as many cars as possible, until that badge has no worth any more. Did sticking a Rover badge on a Maestro make the Maestro more desirable, or Rovers in general less deirable? An Alfa badge on a FWD tall hatchback is every bit as bad
What a sad and depressing statement.
Stupid Useless Vehicles like the toenail and the stelvio are not going to sell in vast numbers because buyers of that type of barouche (especially females) are not seriously interested in the badge on the grille and the volume sales would probably be greater if it carrried a FIAT or Peugeot label.
Middle-aged and older male enthusiasts buy Alfa Romeo because of it's sporting tradition and pedigree and expect to find good performance, handling and braking and a 'different' style.
Stellantis will probably fail to achieve the volumes they regard as essential by trying to force all the marques (brands?) they control into one or two identical moulds for each model range which alienate prettty well all their long standing supporters.