Alfa Romeo has always had a great reputation in motor car racing. And I’m sure many Italians’ choice of car is an Alfa Romeo. But in western Europe the Alfa brand has struggled in recent years. Even the late great Joe Gantly, who was Fiat’s PR man in Ireland for many years, couldn’t improve the sales.
Every car company needs a proper advertising budget and now that Alfa Romeo are part of the expanding Gowan Group, I think we could see a positive change in their fortunes.
Gowan are now one of the biggest importers of cars in the country and it looks like they are also prepared to promote their four recently acquired brands, Honda, Fiat, Jeep and Alfa Romeo.
LOOKS GREAT
Last week I drove the plug-in version of the new Alfa Tonale. It came in Misano Blue colour, which certainly caught the eye of people I met in various car parks around Dublin.
The distinctive Alfa Romeo logo on the grille and boot cannot be mistaken, yet some people who may not be familiar with the Italian brand, wanted to know the make of the car and as usual the second question was the price.
Externally, this compact SUV looks great and no doubt the red brake calipers do add a touch of class. There is ample room for five well-built adults and the boot is a decent size.
The dash is dominated by a ten-inch infotainment screen and there is an array of buttons underneath. The button to start the engine is located on the steering wheel. You will never forget that you are in an Italian car as the Italian flag is carried on the wing mirrors and near the gear lever.
The interior is a bit dark and the roof line is also dark, but I presume that was the idea by the manufacturer to make it classy looking. The black leather seats do have a touch of amber stitching.
Up to last year Alf Romeo didn’t have any electric cars so this 1.3-litre plug-in hybrid is one of the many models you will see as the company pushes ahead with their ambitious plans to be a fully electric brand by 2027.
You need to be careful closing the rear doors. The rear doors have a very pointed corner and I nearly cut my face by being too close to the door when closing it. I remember there was a similar issue with the rear doors in a Citroen a few years back.
SPEED & COMFORT
Prices start at €55,495, which sounds a bit steep, but then this is the famous Alfa Romeo brand. The range in fully electric mode is around 50km, and it can be a bit thirsty in petrol mode. With 280 horses working under the bonnet, if it’s speed you are after, this is the one. Of course it’s fast, but it’s also a comfortable car to drive and travel in and you should get some envious glances. Road tax is €140.
It looks like Irish motorists do have plenty of money to spend on new cars. Following a recent Dáil question from a Sinn Féin TD, the Revenue Commissioners released figures showing that 431 vehicles were sold in the first four months of the year that each cost €123,000 or more, including VAT at 23%. That makes for a total of at least €53m in car sales!
With Gowan’s backing, I expect to see and hear a lot more about Alfa Romeo cars in the coming months and years.
