Thursday 4th January 2007

Alfa plots 3-door Mini rival

New Junior revives the Alfasud Ti

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1980 Alfasud Ti

There will be a new Alfa Junior, reviving a famous Alfa name from the 1960s, reckons Autocar.

Instead of developing the Bravo-based 149 -- an update to the well-received 147 -- the company's focusing instead on a small hatchback that'll rival both the Mini Cooper and the forthcoming Audi A1. Alfa itself positions it more as an affordable successor to 1971's Alfasud Ti, the company's first mass-market front-wheel-drive motor.

With three doors only, the Junior will be based on the same underpinnings as the Fiat Panda and is slated to emerge from Italy in 2008, alongside lighter, face-lifted versions of the 159, Brera and Spider. The 149 meanwhile should arrive in 2009.

It'll be designed by Fiat’s Centro Stile studio, responsible for next year’s new Maserati Coupé and the new Fiat 500. And according to the story, extensive chassis tuning at Alfa Romeo’s Bolloco test track near Milan should provide the Junior with its own distinct character.

^{Picture courtesy Breizh Alfa Romeo Club}

[L100NYY]

I really do hope this gets the go-ahead, it would be great. I learnt to drive in a Sud Sprint so have a soft spot for small feisty Italians!

Although, Alfa were saying about a new Sud when I worked for them a good few years ago so I won't hold my breath!

Heres hoping though.

[mini_ralf]

If Alfa really do intend to bring out a Sud / Junior for the 21st century then my Cooper S will be going up for sale very rapidly.

[james f]

hopefluy should be dam nice dam fast

[andyinpembs]

Well, it could go one of two ways - either great with some nice pointers to the original, or damn bad! Lets hope they get it right.

[jamieboy]

I saw this link to the Autocar story on another site yesterday - there's a small rendering at the top of what it might / might not look like.

[sprinter885]

I think I'd re-name the test track if I owned Alfa Romeo !!

[zumbruk]

As an ex 'Sud owner, can I suggest that Alfa make them of steel, rather than it's oxides?

[mafioso]

So, do we think this will rival the handling of the Ka!? Don't forget, that's the best handling car in its class!

[Fire99]

zumbruk said:

As an ex 'Sud owner, can I suggest that Alfa make them of steel, rather than it's oxides?

Forutnately the Italians have depleted their Soluble Asprin grade Steel..
These days they dont rot.

[DennisTheMenace]

Would love to see it retro styled to look like the original ,
lovely looking cars , this picture was taken of a year old one on a dealer forecourt in italy ...

[the fury]

That sporty little panda got good reviews, so wrapping that chassis in a lower, sexier body can only improve it, surely? Sounds promising!

[jamieboy]

mafioso said:

So, do we think this will rival the handling of the Ka!? Don't forget, that's the best handling car in its class!

Early to say, but it's based on the Panda platform and the Panda 100 got 4½ out of 5 in evo recently...certainly worth keeping an eye on.

[corradoboy1983]

I'd buy one

[stace3610]

Hang on though; what's the 147 meant to be, then, if not an Alfasud for the 00s?!

Stace.

[jamieboy]

stace3610 said:

Hang on though; what's the 147 meant to be, then, if not an Alfasud for the 00s?!

Roughly, I guess it's the 33 for '00s. It's just the way of things - the Fiesta was the small Ford until it grew and grew and they introduced the Ka underneath it, the Golf was the small VW which grew until they introduced the Polo under it, which grew until they introduced the Lupo under it, etc.

It's a popular trend to market a car as having increased space and more equipment compared to the previous one / it's competitors, but there comes a point when people don't want their car to have more stuff, they want it to be more fun.

[mini_ralf]

DennisTheMenace said:

Would love to see it retro styled to look like the original ,
lovely looking cars , this picture was taken of a year old one on a dealer forecourt in italy ...

Why would an Italian dealer want to sell a Hillman Hunter?

[mk1fan]

jamieboy said:

the Golf was the small VW which grew until they introduced the Polo under it,

Pendantry is terrible but the Polo has existed along side Golf since the Golf was first released.

Right about the Lupo (now Fox) though.

[jamieboy]

mk1fan said:

jamieboy said:

the Golf was the small VW which grew until they introduced the Polo under it,

Pendantry is terrible but the Polo has existed along side Golf since the Golf was first released.

Is it worse than pedantry?

VW list Golf as 1974, Polo as 1975 for the UK, at least. Although in fairness, I thought the Polo was much later than that, so I'll give you half a point.

[Al W]

Good news. I'm another who cut motoring teeth in a long-lamented Alfa Sud Sprint.

Please Alfa, don't forget the old cars were about delicacy and handling on their relatively skinny tyres, not ultimate grip on the wide tyres others fitted. Made for much more fun on the road

[pesmo]

The great thing about the Sud was its low CoG and light overall weight. How likely is it the the new car will have these benefits ? Virtually all small/medium cars are 40% heavier today than their predecessors 2/3 generations ago. If I remember correctly even the last Suds were only about 900kg

Edited by pesmo on Thursday 4th January 15:11