2012 alfa 159 3.2

kaleuclint · January 04, 2017, 08:26:21 PM

Spot on ATDG as always. Taking on the C-segment Germans would be one of the hardest gigs in the business. The 159 couldn't pull this off. If the Giulia can become the darling of the beautiful people then good luck to FCA. But -- they would do well to remember that there is (maybe) an audience of 159 owners who have been waiting a long time to buy something newer. Also a lot of traditionalists within AROCA own a 'modern' as everyday transport. It's a segment.

As you know Baz, there are few more special than a SCDT/OFFCDT. Expensive to train and you can't usually replace losses in training. I've sacked a couple; not easy. But the day you graduate you cease being special and become a dogsbody. And you are looking after others rather than being looked after. A lot of people didn't get that and once out of Portsea couldn't discharge quickly enough.

fgv · January 05, 2017, 02:12:43 PM

i suppose it is a lucrative market segment - and i can understand why they want to appeal to that demographic. inevitably it will alienate some of their previous customers.. but i suppose that's where they want their product placement to be. unlike many of my peers, i am not looking for a luxury executive sedan - so they obviously aren't marketing it to me! =D

Colin - that sounds like an idea, although i wonder how long it would take. on another note.. would you happen to know if there are any 159s in the darker (?rubino) red colour in australia? i really like that dark red.. but it doesn't seem popular at all, making it even harder to find a used one with that colour

Colin Edwards · January 05, 2017, 02:38:33 PM

Hi FGV,

One way to find out how long it would take is to give it a shot I guess. Can't say I've ever seen a 159 in the dark red though.

With regard to marketing, FCA have to make selling Alfas in Oz a profitable exercise. If not, history will repeat itself and the brand will disappear....again! Given their will be at least two and possibly four model Giulia's for sale in Oz, it makes sense to heavily market the high end product to those who believe they should own one and are prepared to pay for it. The volume sales and profitability will be with the lower spec models. Although I'm hanging out for the RWD Giulietta, if the Giulia Veloce is priced ok for me I'd happily part with the 159!

Colin

bazzbazz · January 05, 2017, 04:04:03 PM

Quote from: Colin Edwards on January 05, 2017, 02:38:33 PM
The volume sales and profitability will be with the lower spec models. Although I'm hanging out for the RWD Giulietta, if the Giulia Veloce is priced ok for me I'd happily part with the 159!

Colin

I have to agree, and as you say, very much depending on price, with 205kw under the hood, I recon it could be something that many of the BMW noggings might be interested in switching to as well.

Now if we can only convince them come up with a decent ad campaign that excite and encourage people to go take a look at the new cars I reckon they will sell themselves. Once again. Alfa Romeo could once again be something that the general public all dream of and aspire to owning, just like it was when I was a young man. (And YES, I DO know that was a very long time ago!)

Baz

As the day goes · January 05, 2017, 04:25:18 PM

Quote from: fgv on January 05, 2017, 02:12:43 PM
i suppose it is a lucrative market segment - and i can understand why they want to appeal to that demographic. inevitably it will alienate some of their previous customers.. but i suppose that's where they want their product placement to be. unlike many of my peers, i am not looking for a luxury executive sedan - so they obviously aren't marketing it to me! =D

Colin - that sounds like an idea, although i wonder how long it would take. on another note.. would you happen to know if there are any 159s in the darker (?rubino) red colour in australia? i really like that dark red.. but it doesn't seem popular at all, making it even harder to find a used one with that colour

Granted AR has to have a hero car and the price is right for that, but the marketing suck. Guess I will have to wait 5 years for the QV when it drops to 25% of purchase price.

In terms of colour, definitely have seen that red for sale on Carsales a couple of years ago. It was very Yummy

fgv · January 05, 2017, 09:56:27 PM

Colin, what would you say is reasonably priced for a Giulia?

i haven't really been following the launch, but last i read a few months ago it sits in the same price range as all the other executive compact sedans around $70-90K.. is that the case? and the quadrifoglio version was very expensive - which kind of made me not really follow it any further.

bazzbazz / as the day goes / kaleuclint - as for the campaign to get more people to look at the cars.. maybe more Lara Bingle? =p

As the day goes · January 06, 2017, 01:33:01 PM

They all look Lara Bingle to me.

poohbah · January 06, 2017, 01:44:38 PM

Nah, more like Selma Hayek to me... bulges in all the right places.

kaleuclint · January 06, 2017, 02:29:30 PM

Definitely no bogans like Lara!! Catriel Menghia, Catherine Zeta Jones, Uma Thurman, Xenia, Selma Hayek -- FCA have shown how to do it well. The Abarth campaign was superb. Even the more modest "it's not a car" local TVC stuff left a positive impression.

Advertising CAN propel an ordinary product into the realm of premium pricing but it's hard to sustain. Loss-leading to get Giulias out there won't work either.

The product appeals to the senses and the brand appeals to the emotions. We all know it'll give away quality to the Germans, but character and differentiation can offset that. We know they can promote it (not counting that awful polo...

). Apparently they are sorting out an improved dealership experience. So spec it right and price it right, and it will sell.

As the day goes · January 06, 2017, 04:15:59 PM

And what is the story that they are reducing the Alfa dealers in Melbourne to around 3? So making them more Volvo like

bazzbazz · January 06, 2017, 05:53:54 PM

Image & Perception is everything.

kaleuclint · January 07, 2017, 12:52:03 PM

Quote from: bazzbazz on January 06, 2017, 05:53:54 PM
Image & Perception is everything.

Oh yes! "The perception is the reality". Three dealers in Melbourne would be fine (we used to have this) but I'm not sure that's FCA's plan. Collocating with every Chrysler / Jeep dealership is daft.

fgv · January 09, 2017, 10:35:38 AM

Quote from: As the day goes on January 06, 2017, 01:33:01 PM
They all look Lara Bingle to me.

lol! =p

anyhow, just wondering who here has driven / owned both the 3.2 and 1.75 versions?

wturnbull · January 09, 2017, 02:47:12 PM

Curious to know what's happening here in Brisbane. There's no longer Alfa Romeo Brisbane that was part of Euromarque near the CBD. Only one Alfa dealer in suburban Mt Gravatt representing the FCA range. Euromarque will continue to service my 159 2.2JTS selespeed (2008 model with under 32,000 km and in prime condition). Had a brief look over the new Giulia in Austria in October. Here's hoping they sell well here.
To follow up, there now doesn't seem to be any Alfa dealership in Brisbane as of end March 2017.

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Colin Edwards · January 13, 2017, 10:20:25 AM

Back off topic and back on to marketing of the Giulia, see page 5 of todays Herald Sun.
A 3/4 page spread on the "Alfa Romeo Portsea Polo". Alfa Romeo mentioned 3 -4 times and Alpha Romeo mentioned once!!! What happened to proof reading?
Nevertheless, high profile publicity for the brand on page 5 of Melbourne's highest selling newspaper. The article even details "brand conscious, quality-sensitive consumers" as "Key audience characteristics". Whatever money FCA have tipped into this event is certainly providing exposure to all and sundry.