I think any brand that is not a full line manufacturer is in a difficult situation. Alfa has no chance at a resurgence IMO. I think the whole industry has contracted quite a bit which puts pressures on economies of scale. So a small brand like Alfa will get really hard as inflation hits everyone hard.

 

I don't think that's true. Every brand's mission is to be profitable and Alfa is just that (as confirmed by the CEO). They don't have to have bonkers sales numbers to make that possible. I do think Alfa may need to leave the U.S. if their future product doesn't resonate but I don't think they're in a death swirl just yet. Jaguar and perhaps Infiniti are the ones I'm worried about most.

 

Doesn’t this support my last post?

 

You said they had no chance at a resurgence. I don’t agree. I believe their near-term future product will be the judge of that.

 

Can't help but read Alpha Romeo "Toenail."
So all this time, while Dodge was studying the Toenail to make their own model, Alpha didn't have a say in the design? Now all of a sudden it's a surprise to Alpha? I don't think that's how it works.
And that's a bit pathetic Dodge didn't have enough funds to make it more different. They've sold a boatloads of Chargers and Challengers to the street take-over crowd within the last five years.

 

If it's true Dodge is creating a "compliance" car, then why would they want to spend more $$ differentiating it? The more it's exactly the same, the less it costs Dodge to produce.

 

I have never heard of a luxury brand that sells the same car as its mainstream brand at the same price. Even the Aston Martin Cygnet is a $50,000 car.

No they aren't. One is a three-row while the other is a two-row. There are differences in engine tuning, sound deadening, and other areas unseen. And most importantly, they look completely different in-and-out. They are in no way comparable to the Tonale/Hornet which, again,are the exact same car with different bumpers and trim pieces.

Internal conflict among different branches of a company is not a new concept, nor is it uncommon in the car industry

 

Alfa execs aren't going to publicly bite the hand that feeds them when Stellantis is basically putting the brand on a ten-year probation period.

 

Yet you believe this drivel that just came out upon the car's debut? Like I said, if this were actually real news/gossip, it would've leaked out when the decision was actually made. It's hard for me to believe Alfa is still "very upset" about this years after the decision came down. Very suspect that we're just now hearing about any ill will towards this now that everything is out in the open. You can just simply follow the pattern of any other corporate drama to see this.

 

Correct. You may get overlap of an entry level version of the upscale brand's version vs. the higher-end version of the mainstream vehicle; ie, Pathfinder vs QX60

 

No, I gave the explanation for why it is anonymous and not a public claim made by an exec who wants their name attached. You are free to judge whether the claim has any credibility, but it's obvious why no one at Alfa Romeo wants to **** off their bosses at Stellantis when the entire brand may be on the chopping block.

Alfa has every right to be pissed off at Dodge for essentially making their own car worthless and devaluing the brand.

Exactly. Imagine if Toyota released the Celsior here in the U.S. at the exact same time Lexus was born and released the LS400, at 2/3 the price of the LS. That's the situation here with Alfa and Dodge.

 

You are assuming I need a name of a given executive. This happens all the time - like I said, you only need to look at the drama that regularly unfolds over at VW AG and other companies. Audi fighting over platforms, development of groups of vehicles, etc. Things get leaked when the decisions are made without names attached regularly. And within the last years of Hornet and Tonale development, hundreds, if not thousands, of people knew about this twinning. Again, why would this come out now if it was real? There's no difference between them biting the hands that feeds them during development and doing so now, so your point doesn't hold much water.

 

If you’re in the market for a Dodge then chances are you were never going to be in the market for an Alfa, even if the vehicles are essentially the same. There’s going to be a significant premium on the Alfa. They appeal to different customers.

 

really, why should anyone care about some internal whining by alfa about an obviously approved dodge variant?

 

That's what I was thinking too, I never thought about buying an Alfa but have owned Dodges. lol
Nice cars tho.

I would think it's a plus for Alfa but maybe they don't see it that way.
Not sure how europeans view the Dodge vs the Alpha, maybe they look down on it?