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Weekly Recap: Chevy and Alfa plot comeback strategies

Chevrolet and Alfa Romeo were two of the 20th Century's most iconic automotive brands. Chevy embodied America's post-war power and confidence. Alfa was the definition of the stylish Italian sports car. They reached halcyon heights in the 1950s and '60s, before declining precipitously amid new competition, changing consumer tastes, and uneven corporate management. Both say 2015 is the start of something better, and this week Chevy and Alfa laid out ambitious plans and showcased new cars that they hope will make them more relevant this year, and in the coming years. Each brand sits at its own crossroads, and their paths forward are as different as the Chevy Cruze and the Alfa Romeo Giulia. Chevy is still a sales beast, as evidenced by its volume of 4.8 million vehicles sold around the world last year. Chevy executives are fond of saying one of their cars is sold every seven seconds, which illustrates the strength and reach of a car brand that is the fourth largest in the world. "Make no mistake about it, we are a brand for the people," said General Motors North America president Alan Batey. But he wants consumers to want to buy a Chevy for its design and technology, not simply because it's affordable. That starts with all Chevys now featuring a distinctive a family look, with sporty cues from the Corvette or strong lines that riff on the Silverado pickup. "We want people to fall in lust with our cars," said Mike Pevovar, executive design director for Chevy passenger cars. "That initial emotional attraction has to be right on the exterior, and that's where form comes into play." Chevy is also loading up its cars, like the freshly unveiled 2016 Chevy Cruze, with technology to appeal to a younger crowd that prizes connectivity. The Cruze will offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with its MyLink infotainment system, and OnStar with 4G LTE and wifi. Seeking out younger buyers is also sound business practice: Millennials now outnumber Baby Boomers as the largest single age group in the United States. Younger buyers also can improve a brand's image, which is another area where Chevy would like to improve. Chevy ranks 82nd on Interbrand's Best Global Brand's list, behind 11 other automakers. Apple is No. 1. "We need our own variation of the Genius Bar," Batey said. 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia View 3 Photos Meanwhile, Alfa is in different shape.

China's Geely buying majority stake in Lotus

Geely, the Hong Kong car company that owns Volvo, is acquiring control of British car company Lotus. Geely is purchasing a 51-percent stake in Lotus from struggling Malaysian car company Proton, and a 49.9 percent stake in Proton itself. Etika Automotive will gain the other 49 percent of Lotus. France's PSA Group and Japan's Suzuki had apparently also been interested in acquiring Proton. Geely says it plans to revive both Proton and Lotus. "The agreement lays the foundation for a wider framework for both Geely Holding, Proton and Lotus to explore joint synergies in areas such as research and development, manufacturing and market presence," Geely said in a news release. Those joint synergies will be highlighted by the lightweight chassis technology Lotus is known for, which could help Geely improve fuel efficiency. Geely CFO Daniel Donghui Li said the company aims to "unleash the full potential of Lotus Cars" by expanding and accelerating new products and technologies. Proton was nationally held but was privatized in 2007 to Malaysian conglomerate DRB-Hicom, which is owned by tycoon Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary. It was supposed to be the flagship for Malaysia's economic development.Though it owns two factories, Proton mainly rebadges foreign-made cars and sells them in Malaysia. What it has, what Geely presumably wants, is a distribution network in Southeast Asia to pit Chinese cars against Japanese automotive dominance in the region. Retaining a 50.1-percent stake in Proton is seen as a face-saving move. "Proton will always remain a national car and a source of pride, as Proton will still have a majority hold of 50.1 percent," Malaysian finance official Johari Abdul Ghani said. "Our very own much-loved brand now has a real chance in making a comeback, a huge one I hope." Related Video:

Lotus Type 132 electric crossover spotted testing in China

Thanks to Carscoops, we know that Weibo Chinese social media user Ductile Iron BX spotted a Lotus Type 132 prototype testing on Chinese roads. This is the vehicle that will inaugurate the English sports car maker's transition to a battery-electric future and its future as a purveyor of crossovers, the once dirty word among the light-and-simple crowd that's just too profitable to ignore. In profile, the long, low roof makes the Type 132 look more like a jacked-up Allroad-style wagon than a traditional crossover. The heavy camo can't hide the jutting tail that holds a deployable spoiler. Those regular-sized wheels look good, but they don't fill the arches that way we've come to expect from speedy SUVs; we won't be surprised if larger rims appear on the debut model, with an option for even larger rims. The treatment of the rear quarter glass, which looks like a vent, is a neat touch. We know black drapery hides other touches like an active lower grille, its hexagonal mesh peppered with panels that twirl open to provide the right combination of powertrain cooling and vehicle aerodynamics, and some kind of sensor unit rising from the roof. Nor can the camouflage hide the sharp lines throughout, from the concave front fascia to the arced rear fenders to the dramatic rear bumper. This could be a good looking start to Lotus' people-hauler era. The Type 132 is expected to debut this spring, riding on the firm's Evolution Architecture for premium vehicles and featuring 800-volt electrics and a battery with a possible 120-kilowatt capacity. Lotus has said the crossover will reach 60 miles per hour in under 3. seconds, an estimate that probably refers to the dual-motor version that might put out as much as 750 horsepower. Even though the Type 132's place in the luxury segment will see it lined up against entries like the Aston Martin DBX and Porsche Cayenne, this being the first super-sporty CUV from this OEM, it will undoubtedly spend the early part of its life thrown into battles with the Tesla Model X. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.