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Alfa Romeo within ‘shooting range’ of BMW says global boss

Alfa Romeo will be going straight for BMW with its future products as it seeks to upscale its new range of upcoming models.


The brand’s global boss, Sergio Marchionne, told the media at the Detriot Motor Show today that Alfa Romeo was “pretty much dead on BMW” and that the German brand was within “shooting range” when the Milan-based brand unveils its 3 Series rivaling sedan later this year.

Alfa’s upscale progression has been a long-standing order by Marchionne as he seeks to better define the brand’s range of products as part of its ever-expanding portfolio.

Alfa Romeo’s plans to go upmarket starting with the 4C Coupe and now Spider, however the next vehicle that will continue the brand’s journey is a mid-sized sedan to take on the likes of the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series, currently rumoured to be called the Alfa Romeo Giulia, but not yet confirmed.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is set for unveiling on the 24th of June this year in a special event in Milan to celebrate the 105th anniversary of the Italian manufacturer. The Giulia name was first used on a sedan in 1962, which debuted with a 1.3-litre four-cylinder engine.

The sedan will be built in Italy and is likely to be available with a range of engines including the 1.8-litre turbocharged petrol four-cylinder engine in the 4C as well as the 3.0-litre turbocharged V6 from the Maserati Ghibli. It will more than likely be powered by a ZF eight-speed automatic transmission and distributed through the rear-wheels, although an all-wheel drive version may also be available.

Considering the brand’s interest in taking on BMW, the Giuila should be priced from around $50,000 to compete with the 3 Series, though Alfa Romeo Australia may try and undercut BMW slightly for a market advantage when the model launches locally in early 2016.

As reported previously, Alfa Romeo Australia is already in the process of taking the Italian brand upscale.

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