Sergio Marchionne, CEO of the new Chrysler-Fiat alliance, intends the 2014 Alfa Romeo 4C to be a “halo” car that will help lift the brand’s global sales to 400,000 units by mid-decade. That compares with a modest 155,000 units projected for calendar 2011. But any future growth is likely to be deferred, due to yet another shuffle in Alfa’s near-term product plan. For example, the brand’s new Giulia midsize sedan and wagon, reportedly based on Chrysler-sourced hardware and slated for sale in late 2012, has now been postponed to 2014. A new Spider roadster, a modern version of “The Graduate” car, has also been put back to 2014. Most telling of all, Alfa has cancelled plans for its first-ever SUV, a U.S.-built sister to the next-generation Jeep Compass/Patriot. Instead, Alfa will offer a large, rear-drive sedan derived from the next-generation Quattroporte at sister division Maserati; it’s due sometime after 2014. At least U.S. Alfa fans won’t have to wait for the sporty MiTo small hatchback and compact Giulietta hatchback, which--at last report anyway--will start U.S. sale in 2013 and ’14 respectively (likely as 2014 and ’15 models). Until then, American Fiat-Alfa dealers will have to get by with just the Fiat 500 and the exotic 4C. And the latter will be relatively scarce, as the plan is to build only 15,000-20,000 coupes over five years, plus 5,000-10,000 convertible versions for sale under the Abarth badge. Abarth is Fiat’s in-house “tuner” operation akin to Mercedes’ AMG unit.
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