The position of Alfa Romeo in Slovenia: “We are no longer cheaper than our German competitors…”

Photo: Gregor Pavšič

Alfa Romeo brought the renewed Giulia and Stelvia models to Slovenia. They got new matrix LED headlights, a larger infotainment interface screen and a few other improvements. The key focus of both cars, both for the sedan and the SUV, remains driving dynamics, the spirit of the famous Italian brand.

With the exception of the successful Tonale model, this has slipped to the level of a niche car brand in terms of sales, but it has a colorful future ahead of it. The Giulia will not get a direct successor, as it will be succeeded by an electric model with a slightly different, yet officially unconfirmed body design at Alfa Romeo.

Photo: Gregor Pavšič

Emphasis mainly on driving dynamics

Until the entire brand under the auspices of Stellantis switches to electric drives, the Giulia and Stelvio appeal with their attractiveness, driving characteristics and not at all shy sporting spirit.

The Giulia will only be available with four-wheel drive, while the base Stelvio can also be had with rear-wheel drive only. The engineers also tried to reduce the weight of the vehicles, so for example the cardan shaft made of carbon fiber and aluminum weighs only seven kilograms. The giulia will be powered by a two-liter turbo 280 engine and a 2.2-liter multijet 210 diesel engine, while the stelvio also has the option of a weaker 160-horsepower engine. Power transmission will be handled by an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The starting price for the Stelvia is just under 49,000, and for the Giulia 46,490 euros. For more powerful versions, such as the veloce and competizione, the prices rise to around 60 thousand, and both Alfas already have a 1,500 euro discount on the price list. The difference between a comparably equipped Stelvio and Giulia is around five thousand euros.

Photo: Gregor Pavšič

Photo: Gregor Pavšič

Interview – Uroš Mravinec, director of Avto Triglav

How satisfied are you with Alfa Romeo’s position on the Slovenian car market?

Sales volumes are acceptable, but not what we want. The problem is production volumes and delivery times. This year we will get five to ten Giulias and 30 to 40 Stelvies. We have similar limitations with the tonal model. In total, we will sell around 150 cars this year.

Where does the brand belong?

When it comes to price positioning, we are fighting with Stellantis. We have had much higher percentage increases than our competitors and this is our problem at the moment. Now I can count on the renewal of both models, which get both matrix LED headlights and a larger interface screen, to convince more buyers.

Photo: Gregor Pavšič

How strong is the brand, do you still have a numerical base of Alfa Romeo enthusiasts?

There are still many enthusiasts. There is a lot of demand for cars, but I would like more realized sales. Alfa always attracts a lot of interest, both the brand and its cars. The response is always good, but people expect alphas to be cheaper than premium rivals. We are often even more expensive now. The cars are good, especially with the Giulia and the Stelvio, the engineers made a big step forward. The fact is that Alfa is no longer a cheaper car than its German rivals.

What about the future? This one is already planned for Alfa Romeo electrically…

I wish that thermal engines, especially petrol engines, would remain in showrooms for as long as possible. Currently, 70 to 80 percent of our sales are gasoline engines. Years ago, this ratio was exactly the opposite, i.e. in favor of diesel engines. I would like Alfa Romeo to be among the last to go electric, but current predictions from Stellantis indicate that it will even be among the first. However, we do not have any further information from Stellantis for now.