Volkswagen exits the Alfa Romeo hatchback segment by completing production of the Giulitta, a golf-sized model launched in 2010. It plans to fill the void within its scope with a city-friendly crossover in the coming years.
Alfa Romeo arrives in Giulitta Milan to celebrate his 100th birthday. Executives wanted to sell it in the United States, but decided to keep it on the other side of the pond, although its primary platform supported the short-lived Dodge Dart. In its homeland, the hatchback is positioned as a premium model that reflects the company’s high market aspirations. It is slotted below the giulia.
Stylists have made many visual adjustments to Giulitta over its 10 year life cycle and they have been able to see it anew. This is a different story inside, where the 2020 model feels outdated.
Many decades after the launch of Alfa Romeo’s previous hatchbacks – including the 147 – it led to high-performance variants that raised eyebrows, but Giulitta did not receive full-speed treatment. During its production, engine options ranged from 104-horsepower 1.4-liter turbo four to 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbocharged 240 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive configuration only.
Between 2010 and 2020 400,000 units of Giulitta were manufactured in Italy. According to the French website, the final example took place shortly before Christmas. Cardiacic. We do not know how or where it is. Alpha may choose to keep it in its collection or send it to an unsuspecting dealer.
The news comes just weeks after the news that the slow-selling Alpha 4C Spyder will be one of the cars that will not return in 2021.
What’s next?
Rumors have it that the Alfa Romeo will develop a rear-wheel-drive successor to the third-generation Giulitta, built on an abbreviated version of Giulia’s platform. If enabled, this model would undoubtedly be the choice of enthusiasts in its segment, especially as the BMW 1 Series went into front-wheel-drive.
We do not know if the reports are accurate, but the new Alfa Romeo hatchback is not in the corner. Instead, Giulitta’s position in this range will soon be occupied by the production version of the Tonale Concept (pictured above) introduced during the 2019 edition of the Geneva Auto Show. We hope to know more details about the crossover – which will be Alpha’s bestseller – not far off in the future.
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