Alfa Romeo Sets Sail for U.S. in 2009

By James R. Hood
ConsumerAffairs.com

July 19, 2006

The Alfa Romeo Brera

Alfisti rejoice! Legendary Italian automaker Alfa Romeo confirms it is returning to the North American market after more than a decade's absence. A trio of contemporary new models will lead the charge.

Although the sleek Italian jobs won't roll down the ramp until the end of 2009 (coinciding with the company's 100th anniversary in 2010), Alfa Romeo's new lineup is already winning rave reviews in Europe and elsewhere, where the new models have been rolled out of the last year.

Engineering work is now under way at home and in the U.S. to make the cars fit for North American sale, a task Alfa Romeo officials say is a mere formality given that all three models were developed with U.S. safety and emission regulations in mind.

Among the new models earmarked for North America are facelifted versions of the one-year-old 159 sedan, as well the recently launched Brera coupe, called the "most beautiful car on earth" by some, and the Spider convertible. Alfa especially likes the Spider's chances, given its link with the Duetto, which rose to prominence starring alongside Anne Bancroft and Dustin Hoffman in the popular 1967 movie The Graduate.

Each model coming stateside is based on Alfa Romeo's new Premium platform (a modular structure developed with General Motors' Saab division). The chassis supports front- and four-wheel drive, and is engineered to conform to North American crash regulations.

"We knew when we first drew up plans for the 159, Brera and Spider that they would likely head to North America, so we undertook the necessary engineering to ensure they would meet any existing and future standards from the outset," says Alfa Romeo spokesman Richard Gadeselli.

The delay until 2009 gives Alfa Romeo time to launch the promised performance-oriented GTA versions of each model, providing it with a potentially larger lineup.

Alfa Romeo isn't divulging detailed specifications, although Gadeselli hints that both the 2.2-liter four-cylinder front-wheel-drive and 3.2-liter V6 four-wheel-drive versions of each model will be sold here. Depending on how diesel sales progress in coming years, there may also be a 2.4-liter five-cylinder turbodiesel in the 159.