New Alfa 147 launched
Alfa admits uncertainty about brand and customers
With the uncertainty surrounding parent company Fiat, Alfa Romeo is under a cloud -- which is presumably why its PR agency has issued a fact-free release following the release of the new, tweaked 147 last week. "Still a great name in motoring but no longer iconic for today’s UK customers" was how marketing man Jeff Culkin described Alfa Romeo UK. He admitted that quality issues and the dealer network had not done the brand "a lot of favours".
He said at the launch of the revised 147 range this week, "We see the general public today buying products with fashionable Italian labels, everything from clothing to kitchen furniture so we need to re-establish our Italian brand as being desirable and an icon in its field"
"The new Alfa 147 is the start of our three year recovery plan and the new Alfa 159 premium D sector car due to go on sale in January 2006 will be the next stage of our product and customer service led recovery programme" he added.
The revised Alfa 147 range of three and five door C segment models is priced from £13,660 to £19,000. There are three petrol and two diesel engine options with Turismo and Lusso equipment levels.
Culkin said he expected to sell around 4,000 of these new models this year with Alfa’s overall UK sales being in the region of 9,500 units. "This will be a significant increase from our 8,072 sales last year especially when you consider this year’s overall UK new car market looks to be in decline".
"The 159 range with petrol and diesel engine options will be a core model for us and we expect to sell 10,000 units a year of this model alone by 2007. We will then grow its sales to 15,000 units a year which we need to do if we are to get to a one per cent share, around 25,000 units, of the UK market" said Culkin.
He revealed that the new Brera 2+s 2 sports coupe shown at the Geneva show earlier this month is to be built on the same Premium platform as the 159. This model, which will include a 200hp diesel engine option, and the following Brera Spyder two-seater sports convertible, will be significant additions in Alfa’s sales growth programme. The Brera models appear in the UK next year.
Culkin said, "We are moving the Alfa Romeo image from where it is today back to a premium brand with premium products and with our dealers trained to give a premium level of customer care. We cannot beat BMW or Audi for overall sales but we have to divert customers thinking of buying those products into our showrooms, we need to have Alfa models on their shopping lists".
Culkin said that was was important to improve the customer retention rate. Currently Alfa Romeo retains only 22 per cent of its customers, about half of where it needs to be.
He said, "In the past, product quality issues and us and our dealers getting things right have not done the brand a lot of favours. We now build better cars and we now have to deal with customer service issues. The new Fiat Academy has been launched and staff from our company and from all levels within our dealerships will be taking part in the new training programmes.
"We will also be marketing our models through advertising, PR and events using the lifestyle media as we re-establish the Alfa Romeo brand as being iconic, fashionable and desirable. We have a very famous trademark and we need to make people aware that this company has been around for nearly 100 years having produced its first Alfa car in 1910".
Growing the number of UK dealers from the current 75 up to 100 needs to happen by 2007. Culkin revealed that Alfa's dealers do not cover 27 per cent of the country, with major gaps within the M25, London, Liverpool, Oxford and Coventry.
Culkin added. "The significance of the recent transfer of the Maserati brand by the parent company Fiat in Italy to sit alongside Alfa Romeo has yet to be fully understood. It has more to do with the flotation on the stock market of Ferrari, which had been twinned with Maserati. In the UK we do not expect to see any effects of this twinning, there will be no overlap whatsoever. We could use this link to expand our dealer network if it makes sound business sense. There is strength in numbers and we need to expand the growth of both parties".
Said nov 2004 . . .
Don't understand . . . what's new?
<a href="http://www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=2452146">www.motoring.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=2452146</a>
"SMOOTHED AND MASSAGED: The revised Alfa Romeo 147 has tauter body lines and a distinctly more aggressive front treatment."
"TAIL HIGH: The rear bumper has been kicked up and the tailgate firmed up."
Ah . . . subtle.
Some nice painting there . . .
Edit:
Still a 147 is the nicest looking car in her class.
Please don't spoil her with nonsense-making updates . . .
>>> Edited by dinkel on Tuesday 22 March 11:55
I really think the stunning looking Brera is going to be a great halo car for them.
Oh, and I honestly didn't realise how few cars they sell in the UK. No wonder they can't afford flashy showrooms!
I can honestly say that if the car looked like that in 2001, I wouldn't have bought mine; it just doesn't look special anymore.
Glad I got mine when I did!
>> Edited by jacobyte on Tuesday 22 March 12:01
What have they done to it!?
It looks cheaper, less distictive and more awkward somehow. Just horrible. The 156 facelift was actually very good, so why the balls-up on this car?
Anyway, the upcoming 159 looks like another stunner (ditto Brerra). Here's to hoping the 147 replacement returns some flair to what was once a very gorgeous little car.
The dealers need shooting as does FIAT warranty. I had 5 weeks in a Nissan Micra when my water system filled with oil. I ask you, I know a courtsey car is just that but the warranty company should have put me in an equivalent car. Not even an apology.
I have had a new injector, new suspension at the rear, new cruise control, still have oil in the water and no-one cares and the boot light now works after only 18 months of nagging. Servicing is £250 a go as well!
I love Alfa but couldn't recommend one new. Lets hope GM buys them and kicks the UK franchise into touch.
"We are moving the Alfa Romeo image from where it is today back to a premium brand with premium products and with our dealers trained to give a premium level of customer care." Good luck, I'll keep an eye out for the customer comments and when all is premium that is promised premium I'll buy one straight away, even with that ugly facelift (what is that about anyway? I mean 'corporate identity'? Like people used to miss out on the fact that the 147 was an Alfa, will now spot it immediately? ).
But not a moment before. Ah well, at least now they know and acknowledge their dealers are their biggest problem..
nickjm said:
I know this is about the 147, but, thinking ahead, what will the successor to the 159 be called? The 16- series is the next size up!
The 159 is nearly as big as a 166:
Type Length/Width/Height/Wheelbase
159 4660/1828/1417/2700
166 4720/1815/1416/2700
So maybe the big cars will go to a 17- series. Or maybe they will go back to names?
"159" is an important Alfa Romeo number so I think that had some significance as well. (It was one of the most successful Grand Prix cars of all time).
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