GENEVA MOTOR SHOW: Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint
Alfa to reveal two-door coupe version of new Giulia sedan next monthAlfa Romeo will unveil a coupe version of its new Giulia sedan, which was launched in Australia today, at the Geneva motor show on March 7, motoring.com.au has learned.
Likely to be called the Giulia Sprint, the two-door Italian mid-sizer will be Alfa's first direct rival for the BMW 4 Series Coupe, Mercedes-Benz C-Class Coupe and Audi A5 Coupe.
It will be the second member of the Giulia model family, and the third model to emerge from the Turin car-maker's new Giorgio platform, including the Giulia sedan and upcoming Stelvio SUV, which is expected to become Alfa's stop-seller in Australia.
Mirroring its closest rivals in the BMW 3 and 4 Series, Benz C-Class and Audi A4/A5, the Giulia family is expected to be further bolstered by a convertible derivative, likely badged as the Giulia Spider.
While recent reports of a Giulia Sportwagon are yet to be confirmed, the Giulia coupe and convertible are now almost certain to be the "specialty models" listed within various iterations of Alfa Romeo's five-year business plan.
It promises a total of eight Giorgio-based models by 2020, including a rear-drive replacement for the Giulietta hatchback, which is also due for release by next year, a belated successor for Alfa's flagship 166 sedan and two further SUVs – a small crossover to replace the MiTo and a large seven-seat flagship.
Likely to be offered with the same turbocharged four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines, the Giulia Sprint range should be topped by the top-shelf Giulia QV sedan's 375kW/600Nm twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6, creating a direct competitor for BMW's M4 Coupe and Merc's C 63 Coupe.
As with the Giulia sedan, the Sprint will likely be available Down Under in automatic rear-wheel drive form across the range, with all-wheel drive and manual versions unavailable in right-hand drive.
As with its chief German competitors, expect the Giulia Sprint to command a price premium over its four-door donor vehicle, which undercuts the BMW 320i auto by more than $2000 at base level ($59,895 plus on-road costs), but costs $4285 more than the BMW M3 in QV sports sedan guise ($143,900 plus ORCs).
For reference, the BMW 4 Series line up starts at $68,900 for the 420i Coupe, while the standard M4 Coupe is priced at $149,615, so expect the Giulia Sprint QV to be pegged at close to $160K.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
If the price does not contain the notation that it is "Drive Away", the price may not include additional costs, such as stamp duty and other government charges.
