Alfa Romeo to go all-RWD

And Alfa Romeo's saga of restructuring, postponing and rejiggering continues, swathed in announcements, reports, rumor and innuendo. A few months ago, the product plan at the Italian automaker centered around the existing MiTo and Giulietta (cousins of the 500 and Dart, respectively), the almost-at-hand 4C, the upcoming Giulia sedan and the Duetto, a roadster based on the next Miata.

Forget that. Sort of. 4C deliveries begin on our shores in 2014 and the Duetto is still on track. Those of you clamoring for pure Alfa sports cars, be at ease. (Side note: we recently heard from a source that the Duetto may see an optional V6 between the front fenders, rather than the 4C's 1.75L turbo four.)

According to the UK's CAR, the MiTo and Giulietta are set to vanish around 2015 with no direct replacements. Instead, the entire Alfa Romeo lineup will once again be all-RWD. (Given the importance of AWD to premium-segment snowbelt sales, we assume versions will four driven wheels will be available, as AWD versions of the future FWD cars were planned and the Maserati Ghibli — from whence the new cars' architecture will apparently be derived — is available with AWD.)

At a time when Mercedes is hoping to lure younger buyers with the FWD-based CLA and adding AWD to its AMG models, BMW seems to be bent on ironing the dynamic joy out of its automobiles and Audi, well, Audi's always done the front-drive-based thing, this is shocking, refreshing and heartening news.

Alfa's stateside audience is tiny, but relentlessly passionate. We're not sure that the company's previous product plan would've given them what they wanted. The 4C is a limited-production budget supercar for track days and collectors' garages, an oddball destined to sit alongside the Junior Zagato and TZ1 at shows.

Last year, Mazda sold 6,305 examples of the MX-5 in the US. That's an 11% increase over the year before, but it's certainly not enough to sustain a dealer network for a brand without supercar/hyper-lux profit margins. While the Duetto will likely do well in the first year or two, it's ultimately a niche vehicle.

With the FWD hatches on the way out, it suggests that Alfa's done wandering in the wilderness and entered full-reboot mode. Following the 4C and Duetto will be the an RWD version of the previously-announced Giulia. CAR reports that the Giulia will be a true 3-series fighter, due in 2015.

Following that car will be a revived Alfetta. The new model's to be pitted against the A6, 5er and E-Class, butting up against the Ghibli in Fiat's overall product plan. A wagon variant is possible; no word as to whether we'll see it in the States.

Our seat-of-the-pants conjecture? The new sedans will bow in Europe at least a year before we see them here, giving Fiat dealers time to expand, first to handle the 4C and then the Duetto. Figure we'll see the Giulia in '16 and the Alfetta a year after that, with crossovers based on both cars a sure thing for the US market. Given the American appetite for tall wagons, we wouldn't be surprised to the CUVs launch at the same time as the European versions, currently scheduled for 2017 (Giulia-based) and 2018 (Alfetta-based). In four years, the 4C will likely be out of production, but if all goes well, we should have the Duetto, Alfetta, Giulia and two crossovers in American showrooms.

Beyond the marque's hardcore loyalists and the dare-to-be different crowd, will Alfa Romeo be able to score enough conquest sales from the Germans to become and remain a viable proposition in America? The new plan no doubt appeals to car guys — we're all over it — but will the broader populace buy in?

By Davey G. Johnson