In what would amount to a significant setback for the product-starved automaker, Alfa Romeo’s eagerly-anticipated, Mazda-based roadster may go to another brand within Fiat Group.
Instead of giving the next-gen MX-5 Miata-derived sports car to Alfa, Fiat is likely to market the upcoming model under its namesake brand or Abarth performance subbrand, sources familiar with the situation have revealed to Automotive News.
While the reasons for the switch aren’t fully understood, the move seems to be partially attributable to Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne’s pledge – first made last September – that no Alfas will be built outside of Italy while he remains in charge.
Fiat’s supply contract with Mazda calls for the roadster to built alongside the next MX-5 Miata at Mazda’s factory Hiroshima, Japan. The contract was formally agreed upon in January 2013.
Unwilling to incur the costs that would result from abandoning the deal, Fiat is looking to salvage the situation by switching the model to another brand. Abarth, with its enthusiast-oriented image, could be a natural fit, and Fiat itself is also said to be a candidate.
Mazda and Fiat product planners will reportedly meet in the near future to discuss the change in plans. Mazda had been altering the MX-5′s design to meet Alfa’s needs.
Marchionne has declined to comment on the situation, saying only that more information on upcoming Fiat Group products will be announced in early May.
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