Auto News 5

Alfa Romeo will switch to rear-wheel drive across its entire range. No more MiTos, no more Giuliettas, no exceptions. In close cooperation with Maserati, the Fiat Group´s problem brand is readying four all-new models to challenge the BMW 3- and 5-series as well as X1 and X3, starting in 2016. When Fiat Auto was in the doldrums, Sergio Marchionne put his cards on the table. To placate investors, government officials, union representatives and the Italian public, the chain-smoking CEO fed analysts every detail from production strategy to product planning. When the financial situation improved, Marchionne´s focus switched from Fiat to Chrysler, and the information flow dried to a trickle. While some elements of the “new formula for a better future,” like Maserati´s ambitious expansion plans or Fiat´s controversial concentration on the 500 and Panda families were communicated with candor, other plans remained confidential.