Sprint nameplate could be resurrected for long-awaited two-door variant – Alfa Romeo. The Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupe, as seen in our rendering, is expected to break cover later this year and may use the Sprint name.(Photo by Autocar)
A new member of the Alfa Romeo Giulia family is in the works, according to Autocar and it may revive one of the most cherished Alfa nameplates. Due later this year, a coupe version of the Giulia is expected to offer two powertrains that will incorporate an F1-style energy recovery system (ERS).
One engine expected to make it under the hood of the coupe, which may revive the Sprint name, is a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine borrowed from the Giulia Veloce sedan good for 345 hp. A hotter offering is tipped to be the turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 borrowed from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, expected to churn out an eye-watering 641 hp. This would make it the most powerful Alfa in the lineup, Autocar notes, with its sights set on the likes of the Audi RS5, Mercedes-Benz C63 S Coupe and the BMW M4 DTM.
The ERS system that the Giulia coupe’s powertrain will use is expected to be a version of the HY-KERS system created by Magneti Marelli and Ferrari for the La Ferrari, optimized for performance.
The ERS system essentially uses the electric motor’s low-end torque to complement the gasoline engine’s torque curve; the result is better fuel consumption and cleaner emissions compared to conventional gasoline engines with comparable horserpower outputs.
The coupe is also expected to use the existing Giulia engines from the bottom of the range, including a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine tuned to 280 hp, in addition to a 505-hp Quadrifoglio V6. A diesel version could also make the lineup, Autocar notes, but that’s not a model we expect to make it to North America.
The Giulia coupe, whichever name it ends up getting, will use Giulia sedan bodywork up front but will feature a more distinct greenhouse and rear fascia, along with longer doors. The biggest question when it comes to exterior design and versatility is whether Alfa will make the Giulia coupe a hatch, to compete with a growing trend among coupes, or whether it will have a conventional trunk like the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe. The former option seems like the better bet at the moment given the success of the Audi A5 and its five-door Sportback siblings, but regardless of the layout the Alfa coupe should reenergize Giulia sales given the relatively slow start experienced by the sedan.
Jay Ramey – Jay Ramey is an Associate Editor with Autoweek, and has been with the magazine since 2013. Jay also likes to kayak and bike.
Read more: http://autoweek.com/
Bob Aldons is the owner and founder of The Car Guy, reviewing cars, reporting on Car Industry Matters, Car Tech and the world at large. He’s spent the last forty years immersed in the automotive industry from salesman to the owner of a 7 brand multi-franchise dealership. Bob knows cars.
Find One
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In Closing
My reviews aren’t based on power performance or high-speed handling capacity. They’re not based on 0-100 Kim/hr of 4.0 seconds. And they’re certainly not super luxury vehicles that many other “old timers” are feted on by the likes of Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Aston Martin
Back when I started in the motor industry salespeople were schooled and skilled in a process called the road to the sale. Part of that process was a presentation of the car that the customer was ultimately considering,
The six position sell showed the features, advantages, and benefits as it related to that specific car in the eyes and thought process of that particular customer
Those days of a true car sales professional seem to have gone.
Nowadays it seems that all salespeople want to do is accept that the customer knows everything about the car they’re interested in, want to crunch the customer as quickly as possible and get onto the next sale
In my opinion, this is one of the reasons that there’s such a high turnover in salespeople in this industry of ours.
Now I think that I’m a car industry expert, not because I sell lots of cars, but, as I was taught over 40yeras ago, time sells motor cars.
The more time you spend with a customer, the more information you provide them and the more you’re there for them Even AFTER they take delivery of their new car, the more repeat and referral business you’ll get.
Typically second and subsequent sales only provide 10% of a car salespersons business. Referral business, where an existing customer refers a friend, relation or work colleague back tot eh selling salesperson as someone to trust and buy a car from is even less – probably 5%
So, if you’re a young salesperson reading this article, let me tell you that you should be getting 40-50% of your business from repeat and referral business.
And how do you get that much? Well, that’s a story for another article or an opportunity to join me in a training course.
Disclaimer
For your interest, my motoring reviews are my opinion of the vehicle I’m testing. The manufacturer or distributor, in this case, Kia Australia, doesn’t tell me what to write or ask for a ‘nice’ review. Nor am I paid for these reviews – I simply call it as I see it.
I often wonder about the ‘truth’ that I see from other motoring journalists. And I’m particularly referring to newspapers, online forums, and magazines where the company that owns the publication receives substantial advertising support from the various manufacturers.
Do the owners or editors tell their journalists to go easy on the review? I’m not sure, never having been in that position. Would I turn to softer reviews if my company was being paid for good reviews? Not likely. My independence as a writer is not for sale. I’d rather say no than be bought.
In any case, If that ever happens, rest assured that I’ll be telling that story with interest.
