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Illustrated: 2011 Alfa Romeo Giulia (159 replacement)

08/05/2008, 1:43 PM

By Nick Aziz

Alfa Romeo will revive the Giulia nameplate for the successor to its 159 sedan, according to rumors circulating in the European press. While there have been conflicting reports regarding which platform the car will use, sources tell us Alfa is developing a suitable RWD chassis with the help of Maserati.

Rumors about Alfa sticking with a front-wheel-drive layout seem largely unfounded. In October, Renzo Barbirato, Alfa Romeo’s marketing manager, stated the entry-level MiTo is the only Alfa Romeo model that will not make the switch to rear-wheel drive in the coming years.

It’s not known if the new 159/Giulia will be among the Alfa models bound for U.S. consumption, but it seems like a suitable candidate. The 8C Competizione and 8C Spider have been confirmed for the North American market, and the CXover sport utility vehicle is a safe bet.

The new Giulia is expected to arrive as a 2011 model. Our artist’s illustrations shows how such a vehicle might look.

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08/05, 1:49 PM

posted by:

xyunya

Great looking car. They should call it Paris. Look ok, but lacking ass altogether.

08/05, 1:53 PM

posted by:

inline6

If it looks like that, I’ll sell my internal organs to buy one.

08/05, 1:57 PM

posted by:

acura_el2000

North America WANTS

08/05, 2:03 PM

posted by:

fuk-u-asshole

as usual alfa does stunning. my ideal car. 159 is in the new bond movie. + this car has good build quality and drives great and has proven reliable so far with owners.
alfa deserves to be up there with audi and bmw

08/05, 2:09 PM

posted by:

xyunya

Alfa was way above Audi in 70’s. In 60’s it was even ahead of BMW in appeal and sportiness. Then it lost it. Thanks to GM money (GM payed 2 billions not to buy FIAT) it may restore its luster. Actually, I think it already did in Europe.

08/05, 2:20 PM

posted by:

tiemco

Very nice. They finally got rid of that three round light design which was terrble. Reminded me of those spiders that have eight eyes, and I don’t like spiders. Spyders on the other hand….

08/05, 2:23 PM

posted by:

chester

Somewhat similar lines as the Mazda 6

08/05, 2:23 PM

posted by:

MugenSentraKen

======>>xyunya: has more ass than Paris Hilton…

08/05, 2:33 PM

posted by:

xyunya

Common, MugenSentraKen, everything has more ass then her. It’s allegorical writing :)

08/05, 2:37 PM

posted by:

Astonman12

i see a lot of maserati in this. lots of quattroporte. and i like it. a lot. when Alfa Romeo comes to the US, I will be picking one up at the dealership.

08/05, 2:41 PM

posted by:

tzu13

That thing better come in red…

08/05, 2:44 PM

posted by:

howsmydriving

Alfa is the only company that consistently designs beautiful cars. Toyota, on the other hand….

08/05, 2:48 PM

posted by:

macabre

What a beautiful automobile. The ultralong wheelbase is sexy. Let’s hope they are imported. We could use more eye candy in the States. It looks FR to me–the distance between the front wheels and the leading edge of the front door and the short front overhang suggests that the front wheels are “detached” from the drive-train.

08/05, 2:58 PM

posted by:

brassmonkey

Great looking car. I hope Alfa does come back with some decent cars. The 8C Competizione and 8C Spider are beautiful, but will Alfa bring a model here that is not very expensive? I still like the Brera.

08/05, 3:04 PM

posted by:

t-ak-box

They can keep the CXover, just give us this Mito, 8C, 159 sedan and Sportwagon. Thanks ALFA. :)
Its sad that GM couldn’t have keep ALFA but it seems they have succeed without them.

08/05, 3:08 PM

posted by:

Captain Crunch

I’d buy an Alfa over a Bimmer any day!

08/05, 3:20 PM

posted by:

jonnycat

Another stunner from Alfa.

08/05, 3:38 PM

posted by:

fuk-u-asshole

GM never owned ALFA thank ****. the only had a share in FIAT group. if the got control of ALFA the cars would be totally tainted and the company destroyed. It would be in the same mess as SAAB.

08/05, 4:11 PM

posted by:

timmyjan

oh my GOD that is just porn i feel weak in my knees. please put a v8 in it and i will buy it even if i have to sell my heart.

08/05, 6:03 PM

posted by:

S1L1SC

*droool*

Another great European car we might never see in the states. Hopefully FIAT will bring this beauty over here.

08/05, 6:07 PM

posted by:

VictorRaikkonen

“I’d buy an Alfa over a Bimmer any day!” Captain Crunch

And you would be a fool to do so… with all do respect. Alfa’s look good, but if you are a person who likes to keep a car past 7 years you will eventually want to shoot yourself because they do not last. Further, if they do last… they are hella expensive to keep up with more so than a beemer. [its 6.06pm here, not am]

08/05, 9:19 PM

posted by:

C6Racer

Beautiful

08/05, 11:08 PM

posted by:

Captain Crunch

^Victor-
I really don’t get your point. After 7+ years even the best car is going to start to show its age. What are you going to do?! The car’s 7+ years. Bra, I hope you’re going to sit there & tell me how reliable BMW’s are. I had an e46 M3 that was a friggin money pit & the gas millage wasn’t any where near as advertised. I loved the car. Though, after a while I just didn’t want to deal with the headaches any more.
If I’m going to be be on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck………I’d rather look good sitting in the Alfa then in some ugly as sh*t bengled Bimmer.

Oh, one other thing. I guess your under the misconception that German cars are really reliable. If that’s the case………you’d be the fool.

08/06, 7:26 AM

posted by:

JohnnyBlazE

fuk-u-asshole – for passion alfa excels most BMWs and Audi – see Top Gear for more info.

But they’re about as reliable as George Bush at a spelling bee.

08/06, 9:57 AM

posted by:

fuk-u-asshole

johnnyblaze I never said the didn’t. I know that it excels in passion and i would prefer one over an audi or BMW.
I dont think you read my comment properly. I was refering to a comment of someone saying what would happen if GM took control of FIAT group and that ALFA would be ruined

08/06, 10:38 AM

posted by:

xyunya

JohnnyBlazE, George Bush is actually good at spelling. As a matter of fact, unless you finished London School of Economics or at least Cambridge or Oxford he is actually much better educated then you are. He has MBA from Harvard and undergrad from Yale. The man does have a speech impediment, but managed his career despite of it. If we would make fun of Brown sight defect, there would international scandal, but laughing at person with speech impediment is OK.

08/31, 9:05 PM

posted by:

zoomzoomer

cap’n, your points are all pretty much valid except for one.. who in their right mind buys an M3 for the gas mileage?

09/24, 5:11 AM

posted by:

CONOPAS

Alfa are the prettyest cars on planet!!!Giulia is another one to go!!!

11/05, 2:30 PM

posted by:

ricky_b

I may be in a minority group but I prefer wagons. If the Giulia turns out a wagon like the 159 did with theirs, then I WANT. Alfa’s styling department over the past six or so years just seems to be on fire. Even their small cars just look hot. Maybe the Big 3 should import some of these Euro designers.

11/13, 11:15 AM

posted by:

big o

sure alfas are beautiful, but they’re known in europe that they’re unable to get even from point A to B. so basically, it’s just another peice of italian art.

11/26, 6:09 AM

posted by:

Rick_Italy

big o

I am at my 3rd Alfa Romeo in 10 years.

1st one was a 147 1.9. JTD – 116HP and it ran for over 200.000 kms…i sold it and it’s still running with over 400.000.
2nd one was another 147 1.9 MJT (Multi injection evolved common rail and 16 valves) – 140HP – Sold it pretty quickly (3 years), to buy my current Alfa GT MJT 150 HP, which has 75.000 kms and didn’t give any issue at all.

Are you sure you’re talking about last generation ARs? Or you’re referring to the old generations (70s and 80s). No, because in my opinion about 90% of those who speak about AR never tried one, nor they are able to take them to the real limits.

The very latest generation in Italy (159/Brera/Spyder) are heavily criticized for the following reasons
a) Weight – They are too heavy and lightweight is one key feature of AR
b) Chassis. We inherited that chassis from Holden (GM group). Now, that chassis can be nice for a door-to-door salesman car or for highway cars…but it doesn’t work for AR. We are used to REACTIVE chassis, nervous suspensions and steering, especially in hilly roads and corners. This generation is stable, reliable BUT NOT SPORTY.
c) Gasoline GM engines (namely the 3.2 of the Brera/159), really suck and don’t provide proper performances.

ironically, the reliability, safety and all those that were originally AR’s defects, have disappeared…..even the screaks and squeaks of assemblies (still present in my GT) have disappeared.

But they lost in emotionality….they have lost their soul…….So what we hope over here is that AR keeps the good it reached till now….but with lighter cars and better engines, if possible, MADE IN ITALY.

01/30, 5:54 PM

posted by:

pdmc

So.. the same old story again is it? Alfas are useless are they? What decade are these people living in? I drive an Alfa Romeo 156 Sportivo. It has 73,000 miles on the clock. It has never gone wrong in all the time I’ve had it. I service it every 9,000 – 10,000 miles or so. I’ve changed the timing belt when needed and my reward has been absolutely faultless service from day one. Oh and FYI ‘VictorRaikkonen’, my car IS 7 years old. These cars only let down the idiots who don’t care for them properly and drive them into the ground. They are also only avoided by those who drove one into the ground – or ‘know a guy who did’ – and blame the car, or who have never owned one and yet know all there is to know about their failings. Sure Alfa’s depreciate rather more quickly than the completely overrated BMW, Audi & Mercedes equivalent, but what doesn’t? I know that every time I sit into my Alfas wonderfully shaped seat with the Alfa logo embroidered into the backrest, when I grip the perfectly sized leather-clad steering wheel and turn the gorgeous ignition key, I get to enjoy something which makes every drive a special occasion and pleases all of the senses. Watch the rev counter needle rise from its down pointing vertical position up to 1,750 revs as the engine growls into life, listen to the engine slip into a nice purposeful hum, smile at the rasp of the exhaust note, take in the orangey red glow from the dials, the beauty of that gorgeous badge on the steering wheel boss, the triple recessed dials above the stereo showing engine temp, time & fuel level, the carbon fibre effect material on the trim panels and the dual cowled main instruments directly in front of the wheel and settle into the near perfect driving position… I’m reminded of the race pedigree and passion that Alfa Romeo are renowned for every time I drive that car. Move off and watch the Speedometer needle soar as the engine begins to sing.. and the promise of the beautiful Italian exterior and the wonderfully designed interior is not betrayed. Alfa’s are very special cars to drive. They really do come alive, engage with the driver on a totally different level of feel to most cars and feel like they actually have a character, a personality. When you sit in an Alfa you know that you are experiencing something a little bit more special, a good bit more soulful and intangibly more pleasing than any teutonic BMW owner could every hope for. I would not trade Alfa ownership for any BMW, Audi or Merc. They leave me cold. I have driven them, and they do impress me, but they don’t make me feel good and they don’t make me smile. They are supremely competent but rarely fun. They are also as unreliable as anything else out there but somehow manage to disguise this fact through their clever advertising and reasonably consistent after-sales service. For that reason, I don’t think that I’d buy a 159, because it is the prime example of Alfa trying to emulate the Germans. Alfa’s new bosses are aiming to restore that crucial Alfa character because the heavier, 159 (Brera & Spider) has lost all of the agility and poise of the 156 and other earlier models in favour of being ’solid’ and ’safe’. Those being German characteristics. The 159 successor, the Giulia it is rumoured to be called will have to be very special indeed if it is to pick up the baton that the 159 dropped and attempt to surpass the 156 sales and popularity. I don’t doubt that it will, because as slow sales of the 159 have proven, the Alfisti and would be Alfa buyers were not won over by the ‘german-like’ approach of the 159. The 8C and Mito show that Alfa has realised that we love it for being Italian and for being Alfa and that we do not want an Italian imitation of a German product. If they give us all the character and all of the soul we have come to expect from the marque, in a package that is smaller, lighter and more nimble than the 159 … and they’ll be smiling as much as their bean-counters and the Alfisti will be as they thread the car through a series of bends. I know what my next car will be…

03/04, 2:12 AM

posted by:

desired_user_name

You people matter. Really.

03/16, 3:50 PM

posted by:

save saab

Who ever made this should work for Alfa Romeo

05/31, 12:30 AM

posted by:

Other Man

Unbelievably good looking. With the Chrysler-Fiat alliance, I do wonder what Alfa’s chances are of still getting to America, especially now that we’ve been hearing about AR’s return to American for quite some time now.

But as someone pointed out, Alfa Romeo was one a cut above Audi and sat in BMW territory. Versus comparable BMWs, it was every bit as fun and lithe to drive but much stylish and passionate overall.

Bring it to America PLEASE, but also make sure the reliability is good as well. A good beginning show could put them up against Audi and BMW without much trouble.

08/23, 9:05 PM

posted by:

justmy2cents

It seems that not only do they plan to bring it to America, they may in fact BUILD it in America, thus saving roughly 40% of the end cost vs an import… I, for one, have my hopes up.

11/07, 6:04 AM

posted by:

ialfa

YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Finally Alfa with RWD

Can’t wait for it

 
 
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