February29
Spy photographers have captured Alfa Romeo’s new entry-level hatchback undergoing cold weather testing in Europe. The car is expected to rival BMW’s Mini Cooper and Volkswagen’s Scirocco for a piece of the hip hatchback market. Currently, it is known as either Junior or Furiosa, though the final name might be something different.
The introduction of such a mainstream model will bring global sales to 300,000 units, the Italian automaker hopes.
It will use the Fiat Grande Punto platform and will slot below the 148 (the replacement to the 147). Alfa currently only sells 125,00 units annually, meaning it hopes the Junior will more than double its overall volume. It’s not clear if the new compact car will be among Alfa’s U.S. offerings when the brand returns to America in 2009.
It’s another little car from Alfa, of course it will sell. “The car is expected to rival BMW’s Mini Cooper and Volkswagen’s Scirocco for a piece of the hip hatchback market.” The “hip hatchback” market? I think LLN just prevented me from ever wanting a hatchback.
1. I love this car no matter what it looks like.
2. All these spy photographer images are malarkey (sp). Unless the photographer was diusguised as a snowman; these shots are way to close to be ‘captured.’
Fiat 500 platform?
should be nice considering alfa’s design
The thumbnails look like a 500 with an Alfa grilll
pls bring to the United States, this will be my next car. I think you guys are dead on, this will be the alfa version of the 500
Sounds like it’ll be pretty cool. Making it retro like the Junior would be pretty neat, but most Americans have no clue what the Junior was.
It would be neat to bring to America though. We already know the MINI has gone far beyond expectations, and the Scirocco looks promising, but nothing really amazing. Alfa Romeo could really hit something well, and it may do fairly good in the United States.
meanpants- That doesn’t mean there’s some sort of conspiracy. Part of the great fun with disguising their cars is to tease people with what some of it will look like.
@jayjc08: I just feel there are legit spy shots and others the car makers set up and take to get us yapping. Either way I am happy to see what they’ve got.
That is going too be a realy good looking car.
In Europe, the market for hatchbacks are in fact “hip”… Nonetheless, I don’t believe this is a true Mini Cooper S fighter, since the Fiat Group has the Fiat 500 Abarth SS (essesse) set to rival BMW’s Mini.
My guess it is FIAT Abarth tuned few ponies higher (not a big deal between turbo pressure and computer controlled engine management) and cost few Euros more then FIAT. And if Alfa is returning to greatness with vengeance this puppy will beat Mini. On the engine front it is easy, since BMW does not manufacture engine for Mini it’s sourced from Peugeot and Toyota (diesel for Europe).
You guys are wriong, there are 3 differetn hatch segments in Europe, so the FIAT 500 is an A-segment car and this is a B-segment car, which has the same underpinnings as the FIAT Punto, C segment atre you compact car, which we rather have as hatchbacks and you as sedans, well the Avro is a b-car as well and you have a sedan opout of it.
I am so glad this will not be called Furiosa. That had to be the worst name ever for a car.
The Alfa Romeo MiTo (its correct name) will be coming to the USA.
MiTo = MIlan + TOrino
Alfa showed great sense by not using Furiosa. Only imbeciles would have voted for that name.