RE: Alfa Romeo Giulia pricing announced
Discussion
It's been said on here before that Alfa's big stumbling block is the dealers. They must have the available stock, they must get their figures right on cash pricing, finance deals and p/x when necessary. They must give the showroom a quality feel and they should have immaculate demo cars that have no faults. Then when a customer goes back with a problem they should be able to deal with it. They should be poaching staff from BMW and Mercedes.
Swede123 said:
It's been said on here before that Alfa's big stumbling block is the dealers. They must have the available stock, they must get their figures right on cash pricing, finance deals and p/x when necessary. They must give the showroom a quality feel and they should have immaculate demo cars that have no faults. Then when a customer goes back with a problem they should be able to deal with it. They should be poaching staff from BMW and Mercedes.
I think you might find that Alfa Dealers scored very highly in a recent survey carried out by that usually most 'anti Alfa' rag Auto Express. Higher than both those 'premium' brands you suggest.ZesPak said:
Just checked, BMW here has upped their warranty since october last year to three years.
When I was shopping for a new car (5-series) last year it was still 2 years.
So I stand corrected
.
BMWs here have had three year warranties for years. I can't think of a car that has a warranty under three years in the UK.When I was shopping for a new car (5-series) last year it was still 2 years.
So I stand corrected
.I don't know why but the UK seems to get better warranty terms than mainland Europe. Certainly people couldn't believe the old Vauxhall lifetime warranty when I mentioned it in Germany.
Jimmy Recard said:
BMWs here have had three year warranties for years. I can't think of a car that has a warranty under three years in the UK.
I don't know why but the UK seems to get better warranty terms than mainland Europe. Certainly people couldn't believe the old Vauxhall lifetime warranty when I mentioned it in Germany.
Tbh, I bought an XF instead partly because of it (and partly because it just looks better I don't know why but the UK seems to get better warranty terms than mainland Europe. Certainly people couldn't believe the old Vauxhall lifetime warranty when I mentioned it in Germany.
), and it's the reason I bought a VFR1200F over the K1300S four years ago.Yes I saw the position Alfa scored in Auto Express but a BMW or Mercedes driver is probably a bit more demanding in customer service than an Alfa customer. So the Alfa customer saying "excellent service" takes them up the chart.
Would be interesting to see how they all perform with the same standards being set and adjudicated by the same criteria.
Would be interesting to see how they all perform with the same standards being set and adjudicated by the same criteria.
Edited by Swede123 on Thursday 11th August 13:14
Swede123 said:
Yes I saw the position Alfa scored in Auto Express but a BMW or Mercedes driver is probably a bit more demanding in customer service than an Alfa customer. So the Alfa customer saying "excellent service" takes them up the chart.
Would be interesting to see how they all perform with the same standards being set and adjudicated by the same criteria.
What makes you think Alfa owners are less demanding? I'd wager that more Alfa owners actually own the cars they drive rather than lease them or have them provided by a company. If anything, they have more invested in their cars than the marques you name. Would be interesting to see how they all perform with the same standards being set and adjudicated by the same criteria.
Vitorio said:
We are still missing a proper spider though, i mean the 4C Spider is lovely and all, but twice the price of what an alfa spider should be (and more hardcore at that)
And i despair at the though of not getting a proper SW. SUVs are a poor substitute for a proper SW, and in some markets, SWs sell much more then saloons (the netherlands is a good example). IMHO, they should have done a Giulietta SW as well, Estate versions of the Focus, Megane etc.. all massively outsell the hatchback versions here.
Very true. The 124 Spider is a missed opportunity for Alfa to get real publicity and PR prior to relaunching in the US. As for SWs, the Stelio is just a Giulia SW on stilts. Doubt there'll be a Giulietta SW either but rumours of a coupe and saloon, as well as hatch, have been doing the rounds. And i despair at the though of not getting a proper SW. SUVs are a poor substitute for a proper SW, and in some markets, SWs sell much more then saloons (the netherlands is a good example). IMHO, they should have done a Giulietta SW as well, Estate versions of the Focus, Megane etc.. all massively outsell the hatchback versions here.
Jimmy Recard said:
BMWs here have had three year warranties for years. I can't think of a car that has a warranty under three years in the UK.
Until very recently PORSCHE. The German brands all have two year warranties in mainland Europe and in the UK the third year is a dealer warranty added by the UK sales arms.Ali_T said:
rumours of a coupe and saloon, as well as hatch, have been doing the rounds.
And therein lies the Alfa problem for the last few decades under Fiat ownership. IF they want to be taken seriously against the Germans you have a coupe, convertible and estate ready in the wings to join the saloon. They clearly have none of these things again because no mules have been seen and until they do then they will be eaten alive by the German brands.Its great that Alfa finally have RWD back in their range but every rebirth thus far has fizzled out because they cant keep the momentum going and / or they end up with some real sub-par cars in crucial sectors.
The problem that Fiat has with Alfa is compounded by the other brands it owns.... there is no clear demarkation and market segments for any of them alfa steps on the toes of some of the fiat models, fiat models step on the toes of alfa, maserati steps on the toes of what alfa should be selling with the Ghibli and again they step on the toes of Ferrari at the other end so have to be held back a bit and then Lancia are just kins of floating in the wind.
otolith said:
VW gets away with plenty of overlap, though.
Yes but each of the brands has a very clear strong brand image and that is what the Italian brands lack IMO. Making it up you have something like this -Skoda - basic
Seat - leftfield and different
VW - solid and dependable
Audi - upmarket
Lamborghini - fast and sporty
Bentley - posh
Try and apply the same thinking to the Italians and if you throw Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram into the mix it just gets very crowded. If they were following the VW model (and im not saying its a good one, its just the one you picked) then surely there is room to make an Alfa version of the Ghibli but how would it differ as they are both "sporty" brands?
otolith said:
Fiat is utilitarian. Lancia is upmarket. Alfa is sporty. Maserati is luxury sporty. They haven't differentiated them as well as they could have, but they do have something to work with. I'd question Abarth as a separate brand rather than a trim level.
agreed, they have something to work with. They need to sort it out. I think you have it about right but Lancia in that respect is being seriously under utilised. Ali_T said:
What makes you think Alfa owners are less demanding? I'd wager that more Alfa owners actually own the cars they drive rather than lease them or have them provided by a company. If anything, they have more invested in their cars than the marques you name.
I don't think it matters if the car is leased, bought outright or paid for with buttons. The Alfa network was awful when I had my 159's. I worked for Fiat UK and saw first hand how shocking some of them wereFast Bug said:
I don't think it matters if the car is leased, bought outright or paid for with buttons. The Alfa network was awful when I had my 159's. I worked for Fiat UK and saw first hand how shocking some of them were
I was interested in a 159 when they were first released and one dealer that I went to, which is no longer there surprise surprise, saw me pull up and park in a 2 year old Jaguar XJ but demanded a £2000 deposit before he would let me test drive the car to show that I was able to afford one! craigjm said:
And therein lies the Alfa problem for the last few decades under Fiat ownership. IF they want to be taken seriously against the Germans you have a coupe, convertible and estate ready in the wings to join the saloon. They clearly have none of these things again because no mules have been seen and until they do then they will be eaten alive by the German brands.
Its great that Alfa finally have RWD back in their range but every rebirth thus far has fizzled out because they cant keep the momentum going and / or they end up with some real sub-par cars in crucial sectors.
The problem that Fiat has with Alfa is compounded by the other brands it owns.... there is no clear demarkation and market segments for any of them alfa steps on the toes of some of the fiat models, fiat models step on the toes of alfa, maserati steps on the toes of what alfa should be selling with the Ghibli and again they step on the toes of Ferrari at the other end so have to be held back a bit and then Lancia are just kins of floating in the wind.
But that fails to take into account how much simulation testing FCA undertake. Far more than almost any other company. It's why it's rare to see mules until almost launch time. The basic work is done on Giulia so they could have other variants ready to go at any point and mules will only appear after the unveiling. FCA hate press leaks, unlike so many otger companies that use them deliberately. Its great that Alfa finally have RWD back in their range but every rebirth thus far has fizzled out because they cant keep the momentum going and / or they end up with some real sub-par cars in crucial sectors.
The problem that Fiat has with Alfa is compounded by the other brands it owns.... there is no clear demarkation and market segments for any of them alfa steps on the toes of some of the fiat models, fiat models step on the toes of alfa, maserati steps on the toes of what alfa should be selling with the Ghibli and again they step on the toes of Ferrari at the other end so have to be held back a bit and then Lancia are just kins of floating in the wind.
Ali_T said:
But that fails to take into account how much simulation testing FCA undertake. Far more than almost any other company. It's why it's rare to see mules until almost launch time. The basic work is done on Giulia so they could have other variants ready to go at any point and mules will only appear after the unveiling. FCA hate press leaks, unlike so many otger companies that use them deliberately.
Maybe but I am willing to bet there won't be an estate, coupe or convertible and it will therefore be fighting with one arm tied behind its back for sales kapiteinlangzaam said:
A little bit of a necro thread revival, but better than starting a whole new one.
I saw my first Giulia over the weekend.
Just a cooking 2.0T model. It was in dark grey with the big (dark) teledial wheels and a tan interior.
It looked f
king M E G A!
Seriously, properly nice. If I had to entangle myself in such drudgery as company cars / BIK etc, if I could make one of these work, Id chop off a nut to have one.
(I think it might even have been this car):
Time will tell I suppose but that initial WOW factor can soon wear off when you've got to spend 100k+ miles in a car over a 3-4 year period. With it being a brand new model, and an Alfa of course I saw my first Giulia over the weekend.
Just a cooking 2.0T model. It was in dark grey with the big (dark) teledial wheels and a tan interior.
It looked f
king M E G A!Seriously, properly nice. If I had to entangle myself in such drudgery as company cars / BIK etc, if I could make one of these work, Id chop off a nut to have one.
(I think it might even have been this car):
, I'd expect a few 'teething' issues over the first couple of years production. If their dealers don't get their act together I can imagine a lot of ownership headaches..Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff