Volkswagen Chairman Says It Could Quadruple Alfa Romeo Sales If Given The Chance

Piech is a guy that likes to have his own way.Look for hime to continue to bring public comments about a future with VAG owning Alfa. Marchionne has a lot of pride, however. He did turn around Fiat. I think he see's the tie up with Chrysler the way to refurbish Alfa. He may be right. Fiat already has the C Evo platform as the core platform for future A, B C and D size classes for Alfa and Fiat. He is already using the larger RWD platforms from Chrysler for lancia. The C Evo platform is to be used in all smaller sized Chrysler sedans and smaller CUV's. Therefore the cost to produce smaller Alfa's is now greatly reduced. You know that VAG has not been happy with the way sales of Seats have performed. It is obvious that Piech would replace Seat with Alfa. That means that most if not all future alfa's would be produced on VAG/Golf Jetta/and Polo platforms with VAG engines.If you look at the current Geneva auto show. Ital design, now 90% owned by VAG has just produced 2 show cars-The Tex and the Go. I think Piech is showing the world his version of what Alfa would look like with these cars.He predicts he could increase sales to 400,000 in 2 to 3 yrs.

I still wouldn't but a VW so who cares?

*buy

Not a VW. I was correcting my first post.

As Piech wants to replace Seat with Alfa. The problem is this. If he treats Alfa the same way he has treated Seat then it would be doubtful that sales could get to 400,000. Seat simply uses Golf and Polo platforms with their own individual (so called Latin)exterior styling. Their interiors are thinly veiled VAG's with cheaper plastics. Seat is priced as a cheaper alternative to VW's. For what ever reason it has not worked. Skoda's are also rebadged VW's. However there seems to be more diversity in their products and they are more upscale then Seat.I think that Piech views Alfa very much like Seat(as in beneath VW in terms of cache and quality). This is a mistake in my opinion. If he approaches Alfa the same way as Seat he will not generate 400,000 in sales he is predicting. Fiat, I still think, has the better aproach. First it has intertwined the C-evo platform in different widths and lenghs for both Chrysler,Dodge,Fiat and Alfa products. The vehicles will be styled very differently to suit the perspective markets.(Note-the current exception is Lancia with the rebadged 300 as the Thema and the rebadged 200 as the Flavia.Realize that those cars are stop gap measures until the EVO Wide platform is on line.These models will be short lived in the Lancia line up).The Giulietta has gotten very good reviews. I would think that the Giulia sedan(which is the C-Evo wide platform) should do quite well again.Further Fiat will go RWD on the large Alfa and will share a small RWD platform with Dodge on the new Spider.Further this 4C ultra light platform will bring excitment to Alfa fans in the US. Piech would probably not market Alfa in the US just as he did not market Seat here.He would position Alfa below VW just like Seat and keep it only FWD off Golf and Polo platforms.

Piech = arrogance + smarts + auto DNA = world dominance = a great fall

"Piech = arrogance + smarts + auto DNA = world dominance = a great _____"


Success story!!!

Piech is also offering discounts to his high volume lines. i wonder if it is to try and hurt the competition? By in large he has been successful in most of his car lines. Seat is a failure obviously. The Phaeton has also failed. But Piech is not giving up on that one. Further he will keep baiting Marchionne with public statements. The idea is to try and get Mr. M to cave in and sell Alfa.I think there is potential for Alfa under Fiat now. It may have taken Fait a while to figure it out but I think they are on to somthing. While sales of Fiat cars is down in Europe Alfa is now currently rising. This is primarily due to the Giulietta. The C-Evo platform is a good one.Now with shared deveopment by Chrysler and a combination of nich RWD products Alfa may just make a go of it.If it goes under Piech it will be relegated to Seat status.