|
|
Post by racingteatray on Nov 3, 2019 20:34:58 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by michael on Nov 3, 2019 21:56:07 GMT
Nobody buys these things so they had no choice. Aren’t the TTs days numbered for the same reason?
|
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 3, 2019 22:15:07 GMT
Make what sells. Seems to be a sensible policy for successful businesses.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Nov 4, 2019 9:45:28 GMT
Make what sells. Seems to be a sensible policy for successful businesses. Sort of agree but Alfa in particular trades on its sporty heritage so without at least a bit of that somewhere in the range eventually the reason for buying will be gone. Also, while the TT may be coming up for being canned Renault have shown that there is a place for sports cars with the Alpine. Mind you I suspect the TT an Alpine are in different markets though and all the fashion conscious types that went for the TT are now mainly in an SUV of some sort, albeit probably one still wearing an Audi badge. |
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 4, 2019 10:05:57 GMT
Make what sells. Seems to be a sensible policy for successful businesses. Sort of agree but Alfa in particular trades on its sporty heritage so without at least a bit of that somewhere in the range eventually the reason for buying will be gone. Also, while the TT may be coming up for being canned Renault have shown that there is a place for sports cars with the Alpine. Mind you I suspect the TT an Alpine are in different markets though and all the fashion conscious types that went for the TT are now mainly in an SUV of some sort, albeit probably one still wearing an Audi badge. Do people buy an Alfa Guila, Guilietta or a Stelvio because further up the range is a more expensive model they can neither afford or want, and Alfa can neither afford to make or sell? Halo models are important but for Alfa they need to be recognisable as part of the aforementioned 3 models. |
|
|
|
Post by racingteatray on Nov 4, 2019 10:54:08 GMT
I can agree on the 8C, but a Giulia coupe/convertible pairing seems a no-brainer as an alternative to the A5/4-series/C-Class coupe.
BMW has built over 700,000 4-series cars. I imagine Audi A5 and C-Class coupes figures are similarly healthy.
|
|
|
|
Post by Bob Sacamano v2.0 on Nov 4, 2019 11:23:20 GMT
I can agree on the 8C, but a Giulia coupe/convertible pairing seems a no-brainer as an alternative to the A5/4-series/C-Class coupe. BMW has built over 700,000 4-series cars. I imagine Audi A5 and C-Class coupes figures are similarly healthy. I suspect that the sales numbers just didn't stack up to justify the engineering. |
|
|
|
Post by Ben on Nov 4, 2019 15:28:45 GMT
Alfa aren't exactly selling like hotcakes right now, so it's only logical that they focus on things that people want to buy for the moment, and push the aspirational, non-practical stuff till when they are in better financial health.
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim on Nov 4, 2019 16:24:04 GMT
Alfa have made a complete hash of selling their cars here for years now.
At one point they dumped all the small independents and went with big dealer groups who weren't actually interested in them due to the relatively small sales volumes.
2 or 3 years ago a mate who is a confirmed Alfisti considered replacing his Giulietta with a Giulia and despite living in that hotbed of petrolheadedness called Aberdeen was faced with the choice of a trip to Inverness or Glasgow to see a dealer.
They've now added one in Aberdeen but it took them a while and I'm guessing the link has been broken for a lot of people.
Similarly for years they had a dealer in a corner of the Fiat showroom in Perth (which is where I bought my GT from) but none in Dundee which is a much busier and faster growing place.
I think they could sell a lot more here but they would need to take a deep breath and appoint a decent spread of dealers and acknowledge that it'll take them a few years to make that profitable.
I don't think they'll do it though.
|
|
|
|
Post by michael on Nov 4, 2019 17:00:13 GMT
At one point they dumped all the small independents and went with big dealer groups who weren't actually interested in them due to the relatively small sales volumes. This is such a good point. Every dealer I encountered when I had my 156 offered no difference in service to that of a Fiat dealer. Jaguar have a similar problem with some shocking dealers. |
|
|
|
Post by johnc on Nov 4, 2019 17:02:30 GMT
I think all manufacturers are struggling to find a way forward when, due to the politically created diesel scare stories and the concern about the future only being electric, car sales have hit something of a brick wall. I had an email this morning offering the newly released X3M for £599 deposit and £599 a month - for a £70K M car (although lots would argue it's not). Someone's getting very concerned about the market.
I definitely think there was a place in the market for a GTV but I agree on the 8C which tends to tread a bit on Ferrari toes.
|
|
|
|
Post by racingteatray on Nov 4, 2019 17:44:27 GMT
Or Maserati's...
|
|
|
|
Post by PG on Nov 4, 2019 20:56:22 GMT
I think that halo and sporty models, many two doors, coupes etc are a dying breed as we currently understand them. It's a great shame but commercially unless you have the volume to justify the cost, it does not fly. Also, CO2 targets mean that selling performance models in general has to be offset by many other low emission vehicles which is further bad news. People who already have the volume and the full range of engines - Merc, BMW - can probably still make the case, for now. But as the news of the Merc C63 becoming a 4-pot hybrid shows, even if you have the bodystyle, don't expect the enge to be interesting too.
But actually the BEV future ought to bring back halo models in a different form. If you have a skateboard chassis and all the running gear inbuilt, surely sticking different body shapes and styles on top should become a lot cheaper. And surely has to be one way to attract buyers to your EV's? As the engine no longer is an attraction, people will have to think about how they can differentiate their products. A BMW electric motor is going to be pretty much the same as a Merc, or Toyota electric motor, so design is the one way left to attract people.
|
|
