With Alfa Romeo now likely to abandon a version of the MiTo small hatch for the United States market, the Fiat-owned automaker will focus on larger vehicle offerings. Although Alfa’s first U.S.-bound vehicle has yet to be revealed, the Italian automaker could launch with a large sedan based on the Chrysler 300.
Alfa Romeo CEO Sergio Cravero hinted that a larger sedan could be the marque’s first U.S. offering, noting American buyers tend to prefer larger vehicles. “The Giulia is a car that could be the most interesting for the U.S. market,” he told Bloomberg. “We need to build cars together with Chrysler that have an Alfa Romeo soul.”
It remains unclear what platform the Giulia – the successor to the 159 – will ride on, but Chrysler’s LX platform appears to be the leading candidate. Although the LX platform – which traces its roots back to 1995 – isn’t the most sophisticated architecture on the market, it would likely perform better than a stretched version of Alfa’s C-EVO platform. Chrysler’s LX platform currently underpins the Chrysler 300 and Dodge Charger and Challenger.
If Fiat decides to go with the LX platform, the Alfa Romeo Giulia would likely be built at Chrysler’s Brampton, Ontario production plant.
