Alfa Romeo will unveil the long-delayed mainstream versions of its Giulia midsize sedan at the Geneva auto show next week.
The debut follows presentation of the high-performance, top-of-the-line Giulia Quadrifoglio in Frankfurt last September.
The Giulia, a rival to the Audi A4 and BMW 3 series, will be shown with an entry-level 2.0-liter gasoline engine and a 2.2-liter diesel that is unlikely to be sold in the U.S. The Giulia Quadrifoglio has a Ferrari-derived 505-hp twin-turbocharged V-6.
U.S. sales of the Quadrifoglio will begin in the third quarter, with the 2.0-liter version arriving in U.S. showrooms by year end, Alfa has said. Originally, the Quadrifoglio was expected in the U.S. in the first quarter and the rest of the range by midyear.
The new 2.0-liter engine, a direct-injection, turbocharged four-cylinder, will be available in 180-hp, 250-hp and 330-hp versions. The engine also has FCA's MultiAir variable valve system.
The Giulia will also use a higher-output variant of a revised 2.2-liter diesel introduced last year on the Jeep Cherokee. The engine has a top output of 210 hp but also will be offered in more fuel-efficient 135-hp and 180-hp variants.
The Giulia, previewed at the Alfa Romeo museum in June 2015, has had a bumpy development. This month, FCA lured former Ferrari chief engineer Roberto Fedeli back from BMW Group to help fix mounting technical challenges at Alfa and Maserati.
The launch of the Giulia is months behind schedule. Supplier sources have told Automotive News Europe the Giulia failed to pass internal front, side and rear crash tests, which resulted in extensive re-engineering that has added about six months to the sedan's development time.
"We are not commenting in any way," said an FCA spokesman when asked about a delay.
The Quadrifoglio version was due to launch in Europe by the end of last year with the base Giulia scheduled for a European debut in March, European dealers were told last June.
The Quadrifoglio and the diesel are now set to go into production on March 31, with deliveries to Italian dealers to begin by late May or early July. The Giulia with the 2.0-liter gasoline engine is due in Europe by the end of the year.
Luca Cifferi
Automotive News
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