2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio on 2040-cars

Auto blog

The Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990, or $73,595 for the Quadrifoglio

Although the 4C has been on sale for more than a year, Alfa Romeo's US comeback tour really starts with the all-new Giulia. The car goes on sale this month and is expected to compete head to head with sport sedan competition from Germany, England, Japan, and America. The automaker released details on Giulia trims and pricing, and it appears to be right in the mix with the competition. The new Alfa Romeo Giulia starts at $38,990 with destination. While that's on the high side of its class, it's still right in the mix. All of the competition falls between the $34,445 BMW 3-Series and the $40,425 Mercedes-Benz C300. Where the Giulia really shines at this price point is performance, with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine that generates 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. Alfa claims a 5.1 second 0-60 mph time for the base model, which trounces the competition. The big bad Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio starts at $73,595 with destination. That's quite a bit more than the BMW M3 and Cadillac ATS-V, but it's right on par with the Mercedes-AMG C63 S Sedan. The four-leaf clover has a 2.9-liter biturbo V6 that turns out 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. That's good for a 3.8 second 0-60 mph and a record-setting 7:32 Nurburgring lap time, if you care about such things. The standard Giulia and Giulia Ti ($40,990) are available with FCA's Q4 all-wheel-drive system for an extra $2,000. The Giulia Ti is available with Ti Lusso and Ti Sport packages for $2,250 each. Think of the Ti Sport as the Quadrifoglio light and the Ti Lusso as the comfortable and relaxed model. All versions of the Giulia come equipped with an 8-speed automatic, and Alfa Romeo currently has no plans to offer a stick shift in the US. The Giulia Quadrifoglio goes on sale this month, with the rest of the lineup hitting showrooms next month. If shoppers can look through the vast competition for what on paper is the sportiest of small sport sedans on the market, Alfa may be here to stay. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo: Reports of 4C's death by 2020 aren't true

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a purpose-built sports car that hasn't put up stellar sales figures in the US. As we found out, it's an uncompromising machine, which is probably one reason why the automaker is struggling to shift a large number of units. A recent report from Autoline, citing Auto Forecast Solutions, claims that Alfa is planning to axe the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider from its lineup by 2020. The report claims that the automaker plans to cancel the next generation of the 4C to focus on manufacturing new models that would have more sales potential. Alfa only managed to sell 309 units this year – that's only 11 more units than the Dodge Viper, which will be going out of production next year. When we questioned an Alfa Romeo spokesman on whether the 4C would be discontinued by 2020, he stated that no plans had been announced yet and referred us to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' five-year plan. The plan mentions two "specialty" models that Alfa plans to introduce between 2017 and 2020. It's not clear whether these models would be in addition to or act as direct replacements for the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider. There's also a possibility that the upcoming models would serve the same purpose as the 4C models, but carry different names. The 4C marked Alfa's return to the US since it left in the 1990s. As part of the automaker's comeback, it plans to put a sports sedan, in the form of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, up against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series later this year. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo to gun for Jag F-Type with 6C

It has taken Alfa Romeo years of promises to finally, truly return to the US with the 4C sports coupe and its initial 86-dealer network. We already know that the sporty Italian brand has more models on the way in near future, with a midsize sedan, crossovers and more headed our way according to the company's five-year plan. Now, the latest rumor from an unnamed source speaking to Auto Express, claims that Alfa has another, more powerful sports car on the slate to take on an even higher rung of performance vehicles, cars like the Jaguar F-Type. The so-called Alfa Romeo 6C would launch as a coupe with the twin-turbocharged V6 engine from Maserati Ghibli (which makes 404 horsepower in that application) and a convertible would join the lineup later. The Alfa's platform would come directly from the Maserati Alfieri, which is supposed to launch in 2016. In terms of styling, the insider describes the new coupe as closer to the earlier 8C Competizione than the 4C. That suggests a front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout, plenty of gorgeous curves and the brand's long-lived shield grille flanked by LED headlights up front. Auto Express' source claims a 2017 launch date for the new range, and that could fit in Alfa's already-announced product plan. In its five-year forecast, the company said a specialty car would join the ranks from 2016-2018. At the time, we assumed this would be the sibling to the next-gen Mazda MX-5 Miata. However, the Italian end of the project was more recently reported to be in doubt, with thoughts that the codeveloped model may end up wearing a Fiat badge. The 6C could be an interesting alternative if the project comes to fruition. Featured Gallery 2015 Alfa Romeo 4C: First Drive View 43 Photos News Source: Auto ExpressImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Seyth Miersma / AOL Design/Style Rumormill Alfa Romeo Maserati Coupe Performance