Despite Delays, Alfa Romeo Wants To Launch Nine Cars By 2021

Alfa Romeo's onslaught of new vehicles has been delayed but the Italian company still plans to launch up to nine new models in the coming five years.

By 2021, new vehicles set to roll out of the Alfa stable include a larger sedan than the Giulia, a large flagship SUV based on the same underpinnings as the Maserati Levante, a third SUV and a new sports car.

Speaking with Autocar, Alfa Romeo boss Reid Bigland revealed that despite the delay in launching its new range, the company remains determined to rival the Germans.

“Our goal is absolutely to go toe to toe with the Germans, but that’s not a two-year plan. We’re just not going to get there that quickly. They’re in every segment and spinning derivatives off those segments.

“Even with the new [Stelvio] SUV, we will only have 50% coverage of the market. We need to pick our strategy and get it right. We have one chance to make the best possible car with every launch,” he said.

The brand's plans are being particularly buoyed by growing demand for SUV models, hence why it could soon have three in its arsenal and despite Bigland admitting that “a few years ago, an Alfa SUV would have been sacrilegious”.

It is reported that the flagship SUV will prove particularly important for the brand as its success could determine what happens with the other proposed models as it will be a high-profit car and help to fund other projects.

Also on the cards for the Italian marque is a successor to the Giulietta hatchback also expected to be offered as an estate. Elsewhere a new version of the Alfa Romeo Brera could be launched in 2020 and made in both coupe and convertible guises.