Yahoo Finance Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe Absent from 2019 Lineup
Alfa Romeo is in the midst of a growth spurt as it re-cements its place in the U.S. market, but for 2019, there’s a slight blip in the upward slope of its lineup expansion. During a preview of new Maserati and Alfa vehicles in Michigan, the brands released their 2019 model pricing-and the 4C coupe was absent from Alfa’s list. The Spider convertible remains, with no price increase, selling for $67,495 alongside the Giulia and Stelvio in Alfa dealerships.
The 4C coupe’s departure from the lineup has a sentimental edge. After a 20-year pause, Alfa Romeo returned to the U.S. market in 2014 with the dramatic mid-engined sports car. It was a saucy way to say, “Hey! Remember us?” even though the sports car was met with a swirl of mixed reviews. Its spice level clearly was Italian, but it had flaws, including a cramped cabin with limited adjustability and limited cargo space that left Porsche’s equivalent Cayman looking something like a minivan by comparison.
Fast forward to today, and Alfa Romeo now has a fledgling, legitimate lineup of vehicles that includes two of the most thrilling sedans and SUVs on the market in the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models. The company recently unpacked its plans for further expansion with talks of more SUVs, a mid-engined sports car called the 8C, and a 600-hp hybrid that resurrects the GTV name.
But before Alfa moves forward it needs to reorganize, and that means dropping the 4C coupe from the lineup. Although Alfa Romeo would not go on the record to say the model is dead for good, a spokesman confirmed that the convertible model is the only 4C offered for 2019, and the brand’s own five-year plan released earlier this month shows the 4C disappearing entirely by 2022.
The Spider that will remain in the lineup benefits this year from a new backup camera to comply with new federal regulations. Additionally, it will have exterior sensors as a secondary helpful parking aid and cruise control as standard. New optional features include a sport suspension, carbon-fiber or Italian-flag door-mirror caps (take that, Mini!), and a leather- and microfiber-wrapped steering wheel. For those who are hardtop enthusiasts, this is a sad day, as the 4C coupe was a unique, mini-Ferrari-esque sports car, but the Spider is a nice consolation-at least until it, too, goes away. Let’s hope both 4Cs will eventually be replaced by something more practical and every bit as Italian.
You Might Also Like
