Alfa Romeo’s MX-5 equivalent dropped

Alfa Romeo's highly-touted joint sports car venture with Mazda is no longer, the boss of the Italian car maker has confirmed.

Instead, it looks certain that Fiat or Abarth badging will adorn Fiat Chrysler Group's Mazda MX-5 equivalent when the European drop-top finally emerges – possibly from next year.

In an interview with CAR magazine, Alfa Romeo boss Harald Wester said the Italian brand had distanced itself from the Mazda MX-5 venture to instead utilise resources available within the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) group. The MX-5 will reach Australian showrooms from mid next year, priced from under $40,000, however the timing of the FCA equivalent is yet to be confirmed.

"As far as the Spider goes, the final version is of course no longer the two-seater FCA co-developed with Mazda but a derivative of project Giorgio," Wester said.

"The Far East import (the MX-5) will probably find a new home with Fiat-Abarth," he said.

First announced in 2013, the Fiat-Mazda venture  was to produce two uniquely styled roadsters in the form of the fourth-generation MX-5 and a modern interpretation of the Alfa Romeo Spider. Both were to share a common rear-drive platform structure as well as key chassis components and electronic architecture.

Wester's reference to the Giorgio project implies the Alfa Romeo roadster will likely share underpinnings with other vehicles within the FCA group, such as the Maserati Levante SUV.