Alfa should give Mopar fans hope for the future

[Ryan]

Between the constant whining about FCA's decisions on other sites and the hopeful discussion of upcoming products, there is a topic I have not seen addressed: Alfa Romeo's influence on the future of the Mopar brands.

I got an opportunity to briefly drive a Giulia yesterday. It was a very quick drive and I was behind the wheel for maybe fifteen minutes, but I came away very impressed. Around town, the steering is sharp and the ride is comfortable, but on the highway it comes alive. Even on the base 2.0 model, acceleration feels extremely fast and smooth. A bit of turbo lag is there, but not in a problematic way. I felt ridiculous, but I pressed around all over the interior panels to see how tight everything felt, and there were no squeaks to be found. The interior is almost as great as the performance characteristics of this car.

So what does this have to do with the Mopar brands? Well, considering future Dodge and Jeep models will be sharing technologies and some engineering with these cars, they are indicative of the future of the Mopar brands. Despite the great fuss that has been made of Alfa's recalls and reports of quality problems, that noise has lessened in recent months as they get the initial production bugs worked out and more people experience how fun these vehicles are. It also took a little bit longer than expected for the Giulia to come to market, just as several products from the Mopar brands have faced delays. Fortunately though, the timeline for important models (Grand Cherokee, Wagoneer, Durango, Charger, and Challenger) seems to have solidified.

Mopar fans have a lot to be excited about. Alfa Romeo has proven that FCA has the capability to build fantastic new vehicles from the ground up. Although there will always be people who complain and groan about every decision, probably for reasons that aren't related to cars at all, the true Mopar fans among us need only to look at the Giulia (and 2019 Ram) for an indication of what FCA is capable of - even through the delays and recalls, they have still managed to create a class leading vehicle that leave me hopeful and excited for the next wave of Mopar vehicles that are soon to arrive. It's a wonderful time to be a Mopar fan.

 

[Jared B]

I really like the Guilia, I'd love to drive one. If I was shopping in that market it would be on the top of my list.

 

[Ryan]

I really like the Guilia, I'd love to drive one. If I was shopping in that market it would be on the top of my list.

Handling is amazing. The steering is so precise and sharp. Going into a parking lot and turning the wheel to lock, it feels like you can turn on a dime. I have never driven a car that feels this connected to the driver.

 

[Jared B]

I'm going to have to get behind the wheel of one. I'd like to get a sports sedan again at some point. Going to have to pay the truck off first but since it's getting traded in on a new one I'm out of that market for awhile.

 

[Ryan]

I'm going to have to get behind the wheel of one. I'd like to get a sports sedan again at some point. Going to have to pay the truck off first but since it's getting traded in on a new one I'm out of that market for awhile.

It would be something I'd consider purchasing if I lived closer to an Alfa dealer. I'm also a sucker for the Hemi rumble though, which is all the more reason to be excited for a future Charger or Challenger sharing its bones with an Alfa!

 

[Jared B]

It would be something I'd consider purchasing if I lived closer to an Alfa dealer. I'm also a sucker for the Hemi rumble though, which is all the more reason to be excited for a future Charger or Challenger sharing its bones with an Alfa!

I'm the same way, there are too many FCA vehicles that I like. I'd love to have a Charger or Challenger as well. A Challenger Shaker is high up on my list as well.

 

[Ryan]

I'm the same way, there are too many FCA vehicles that I like. I'd love to have a Charger or Challenger as well. A Challenger Shaker is high up on my list as well.

When I was searching for a Charger Daytona a few days ago, I found a yellow Challenger with the Shakedown package that caught my eye. I'm not sure I can see myself driving a yellow car, but it's still a distinctive package though with the unique stripes.

 

[UN4GTBL]

I drove both Alfas last week, and was impressed with them.

Didn't like the infotainment system as much as UConnect tho.

 

[Ryan]

I drove both Alfas last week, and was impressed with them.

Didn't like the infotainment system as much as UConnect tho.

The infotainment system was pretty awful IMO. I thought it was the smaller unit until I pulled the build sheet and was surprised that it was 8.8" - somehow bigger than the one in my car... I'm sure reviewers would complain about it, but I'd rather they just put Uconnect in the Alfas.

 

[UN4GTBL]

The infotainment system was pretty awful IMO. I thought it was the smaller unit until I pulled the build sheet and was surprised that it was 8.8" - somehow bigger than the one in my car... I'm sure reviewers would complain about it, but I'd rather they just put Uconnect in the Alfas.

Yeah, it's slightly bigger, but, doesn't seem as useful?

 

[Ryan]

Yeah, it's slightly bigger, but, doesn't seem as useful?

I think it feels smaller because it's surrounded by a large bezel. And I couldn't figure out a way to go to the next station on SXM without having to go into the channel list and scroll all the way to the channel starting from 0.

Pretty minor complaint though that could be fixed by setting favorite stations.

 

[redriderbob]

@Ryan... show them what your Charger photoshop looks like. The next generation Charger from what I have heard will have a lot of the same cues Ryan's design has.

 

[Ryan]

@Ryan... show them what your Charger photoshop looks like. The next generation Charger from what I have heard will have a lot of the same cues Ryan's design has.

I posted it in the Charger & Challenger discussion thread but here it is again

 

[Bili]

I think it feels smaller because it's surrounded by a large bezel. And I couldn't figure out a way to go to the next station on SXM without having to go into the channel list and scroll all the way to the channel starting from 0.

Pretty minor complaint though that could be fixed by setting favorite stations.

There are no bezels on Alfa's screen. At least not a classic one. All is a one big glass surface.

Screen is a 16:9 aspect ratio and thus most likely smaller surface area than a more square 8.4" Uconnect.

I'm expecting bigger unit in the future. 10" or 12". Also with a touch function.

But here Alfa did just what other premium car makers are doing. Magneti Marelli is behind that system. Magneti Marelli is also behind a highly praised BMW infotainment.
As we know Magneti Marelli is still part of FCA.

For Giulia performance. Stelvio is even more in a class of its own. Stelvio is something special in a SUV world. It driver like a car. Cornering is better than in many cars from competition.

 

[Ryan]

There are no bezels on Alfa's screen. At least not a classic one. All is a one big glass surface.

Screen is a 16:9 aspect ratio and thus most likely smaller surface area than a more square 8.4" Uconnect.

I'm expecting bigger unit in the future. 10" or 12". Also with a touch function.

But here Alfa did just what other premium car makers are doing. Magneti Marelli is behind that system. Magneti Marelli is also behind a highly praised BMW infotainment.
As we know Magneti Marelli is still part of FCA.

For Giulia performance. Stelvio is even more in a class of its own. Stelvio is something special in a SUV world. It driver like a car. Cornering is better than in many cars from competition.

Well, I was mostly referring to the fact that the screen was smallish and rectangular compared to the rest of the glass overlay. It would be unique if they could fill that wheel area with a non-rectangular screen shaped to fill that space.

 

[redriderbob]

I posted it in the Charger & Challenger discussion thread but here it is again

View attachment 278

Love that design... you'll have to send me the original. I want it as my background on my laptop!

 

[Ryan]

Love that design... you'll have to send me the original. I want it as my background on my laptop!

Without trying to sound arrogant at all, I think it's probably the best rendering I've done.

 

[UN4GTBL]

There are no bezels on Alfa's screen. At least not a classic one. All is a one big glass surface.

Screen is a 16:9 aspect ratio and thus most likely smaller surface area than a more square 8.4" Uconnect.

I'm expecting bigger unit in the future. 10" or 12". Also with a touch function.

But here Alfa did just what other premium car makers are doing. Magneti Marelli is behind that system. Magneti Marelli is also behind a highly praised BMW infotainment.
As we know Magneti Marelli is still part of FCA.

For Giulia performance. Stelvio is even more in a class of its own. Stelvio is something special in a SUV world. It driver like a car. Cornering is better than in many cars from competition.

I think it looked cool, but where I'm so used to touch screen units, and I was primarily focused on how the car drove, I just turned the radio volume off. I tried to do that with the buttons on the back of the steering wheel at first...lol

 

[Jared B]

Without trying to sound arrogant at all, I think it's probably the best rendering I've done.

Doesn't sound arrogant at all, your renderings are always awesome, but I agree from what I've seen that one is the best.

 

[Ryan]

Doesn't sound arrogant at all, your renderings are always awesome, but I agree from what I've seen that one is the best.

Thanks. I would like to do one for the Challenger as well but strangely enough the Challenger is a hard design to work with. Very squared off corners...