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Slow Chinese market delays Maserati and Alfa Romeo models

We already told you that Alfa Romeo was delaying the Giulia sedan and an unnamed CUV, but now things are getting worse. According to Bloomberg, Maserati has delayed the Alfieri sports car. And it's all China's fault. The faltering Chinese domestic market, which is experiencing its slowest period of growth in nearly three decades, is forcing Fiat Chrysler to rethink its plans for its Italian models, Bloomberg reports. Rather than going for models that would likely be popular in China, including the Alfa CUV and a larger sedan, the company will shift its focus and bring out updated MiTo and Giulietta hatchbacks, both of which would play better in Europe, an unnamed source within FCA told Bloomberg. This news is notable because it shows that FCA boss Sergio Marchionne's ambitious product transformation is not progressing as smoothly as planned. In the MiTo's case, the company is willing to go back on its original strategy. The subcompact hatch wasn't supposed to survive beyond 2016, but Bloomberg is reporting an update is due by the middle of next year. As for Maserati, well, there's not much to say. The Alfieri was supposed to go on sale next year, and now it's not. There's no word on how (or even if) Maserati's priorities will shift to another vehicle, or if this is simply a matter of money being distributed away from one of FCA's brands and toward another. Related Video: News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Andy Wong / AP Alfa Romeo Maserati Sergio Marchionne FCA alfa romeo giulia alfa romeo mito alfa romeo giulietta maserati alfieri

Alfa Romeo Stelvio refresh spied sporting the smallest of changes

Alfa Romeo has a refresh coming down the pipeline for the Stelvio crossover soon, and our spy photographer just caught it testing out in the wild. The white Stelvio in partial camouflage seen here isn’t hiding a whole lot, though. From what we can tell, nothing much has changed on the outside compared to the car we can buy now. Swirly wrappings cover both the front bumper and lower rear fascia. Despite us not being able to discern any differences between this one and the 2019 Stelvio, the camouflage could be hiding some minor tweaks. Or perhaps the changes arenÂ’t present in this test car, and itÂ’s being used as a powertrain mule of sorts. There are rumors that Alfa will add some form of electrification to the Stelvio in this lifecycle. Whether thatÂ’s a 48-volt mild-hybrid system or something as involved as a plug-in hybrid, we canÂ’t know for sure yet. The interior does reveal a couple of the smallest changes. Alfa isnÂ’t giving it a whole new look, but a couple things get moved around or reshaped. The electronic parking brake has moved up to an easier-to-reach position next to the shifter. ThereÂ’s some sort of module to the right of the shifter that looks like itÂ’s missing something — that module is not present in the current car. Then, Alfa reshaped the center armrest. Hopefully that means thereÂ’s a little bit more utility in store for the center console and armrest area. Like we said, thereÂ’s nothing revolutionary here. As the Stelvio was introduced as a 2018 model year crossover here, we donÂ’t expect the refresh to be hitting us until the 2021 model year at the earliest. If Alfa feels like moving things along, there could be a reveal for the mid-cycle refresh next year sometime.

Recharge Wrap-up: Tesla Model X towing drag race, Porsche 918 salvage auction

Watch an Alfa Romeo 4C drag race against a Tesla Model X towing an Alfa Romeo 4C. The ridiculous (or, perhaps more appropriately, ludicrous) race appeared in MotorTrend's Instagram, which was then shared on Facebook by Tesla Motors Autopilot Program Director Sterling Anderson, along with the comment, "Fun fact: many high-performance cars cross the quarter mile line faster when towed by a Model X than they do on their own four wheels." While we can't quite see the actual results of the drag race in the video, it appears to be a close one. Check it out in the video above, and read more from Electrek. A Porsche 918 Spyder has gone up for auction. Unfortunately, it's a salvage auction, and said performance plug-in hybrid is totally mangled. The gut-wrenching photos reveal an even sadder detail, as the car's odometer shows it only logged 92 miles before being involved in what appears to have been a terrible wreck (though the listing describes the miles as "not actual"). The current bid on the Copart auction site is up to $106,000, and the listing shows a $600,000 repair estimate. The very expensive hunk of metal and carbon fiber is located in Long Island. Check out the listing for yourself, or read more at MotorAuthority. GKN Driveline says that German drivers are more interested in plug-in hybrids (especially with all-wheel drive) than conventional hybrid cars. In a poll of more than 1,000 drivers commissioned by GKN, 75 percent preferred PHEVs to standard hybrids, while 61.2 percent said that 50 kilometers (31 miles) of electric range is enough for their daily driving duties. About 81 percent are "wary of hybrids," most believing them to be a poor value. 52 percent said their ideal car would combine a plug and all-wheel drive. "We believe that plug-in hybrids with all-wheel drive make sense," says GKN Automotive President of Engineering Peter Moelgg, "and the public's positive response to vehicle programmes that offer this combination – like the Volvo XC90 T8 Twin Engine, BMW i8, and Porsche 918 Spyder – can only continue to grow." Read more in the press release below. NEW RESEARCH REVEALS GERMAN DRIVERS PREFER PLUG-IN HYBRIDS Lohmar, Germany, 22 March 2016: Drivers now consider plug-in hybrid vehicles to be more attractive and practical than conventional hybrids, a survey commissioned by GKN Driveline has revealed.