Fiat Finally Tries to Tune Up Alfa Romeo

摘要

Almost a half-century ago, Fiat's Alfa Romeo brand grabbed the spotlight when its 1966 Spider Duetto served as the car driven by the lovesick Dustin Hoffman in the film The Graduate. Today the Italian automaker hopes the public will again fall in love with the now struggling nameplate-this time thanks to the star power of sister brands Ferrari and Jeep. Fiat wants to scrap almost all of Alfa Romeo's current lineup and create a new line of premium-priced sedans and sport-utility vehicles that can take on the likes of BMW and Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, people familiar with the plans said. The models will start to hit the market in 2016, and high-end versions will be equipped with motors developed by Ferrari, the Fiat-owned supercar maker, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions are private. The revitalized brand would get a further boost by sharing Jeep's international dealer network.