Consumer Guide’s Impressions of the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano
A stylish new Italian premium compact car is near the top of the to-do list for the pending Fiat-Chrysler alliance. The Alfa Romeo Milano might even be built in the U.S. But nothing’s going to happen unless Chrysler gets more of your money first.
What We Know About the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano
It’s hard to be sure of anything in today’s dire global economy, especially in the car business. Take Chrysler. America’s weakest automaker is currently hoping for $5 billion in fresh taxpayer money to supplement the $4 billion it received in late 2008. Without the new funds, Chrysler says it won’t last through 2009, which means it won’t be able to take advantage of the life-saving “strategic alliance” proposed by Italy’s Fiat Auto.
At this writing (early March 2009), President Obama’s new Auto Task Force is reviewing the “viability” plan Chrysler recently submitted as a condition of its initial government loan. The plan depends on Fiat for new small-car platforms and high-mpg powertrains to plug gaping holes in Chrysler’s product portfolio, a repair job seen as essential for reviving Chrysler sales and restoring profitability. Fiat stands to benefit mainly from Chrysler’s U.S. sales and manufacturing facilities. It also gets a 35-percent piece of the American company for no money down. Fiat CEO Sergio Marchionne proposed the linkup in the belief that only those automakers with at least 5.5 million yearly sales will be able to weather today’s economic storms. As it happens, Fiat and Chrysler tallied about that many sales between them in 2008.
Though we won’t know the end of this story until March 31st, we suspect Chrysler will get its requested funds, especially given assurances by both potential partners that no federal money will end up in Fiat’s piggybank. If Washington does indeed come across, Chrysler and Fiat should officially join forces sometime this spring and get cracking on ambitious plans, some of which are already known. Topping the agenda are a radical remake of the Chrysler lineup and returning the Fiat and Alfa Romeo brands to the U.S. market after absences of more than 20 years. If all goes well, Americans will eventually see a raft of new Chrysler-badged Fiat-designed cars and a few U.S.-built Fiat and Alfa models. How do we know? Because it’s on the eight-year product timeline in Chrysler’s viability report.
The first of the alliance’s scheduled Italian-brand products are the retro-cute Fiat 500 minicar, the recently launched BMW Mini Cooper-fighting Alfa Romeo MiTo premium subcompact car, and our subject here, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano compact. Developed as Project 940, the front-wheel-drive Milano had been rumored as the Alfa Romeo 149 until Chrysler’s report revealed an official name change.
No matter. The Milano is the redesigned replacement for the European-market Alfa 147 hatchback that’s been around since late 2000 as a rival to the likes of the mainstream Ford Focus and premium compact cars like the BMW 1-Series. The Milano is slated to bow in Europe in late 2009, and Fiat hints that it could be in U.S. showrooms as early as mid-2010, albeit as a limited-availability import. But there’s a good chance that Chrysler will end up building U.S.-market Milanos, perhaps sooner rather than later. For now, the parties will only say they’re studying the possibility.
Unlike the 147, which offered a choice of 2 or 4 doors, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano will be a 4-door only, though we don’t rule out a 2-door version later on. But even as it stands, this is one very stylish hatchback, judging from leaked production-model photos circulating on the Internet. Like MiTo, the Milano is an Italian-stylish blend of curves and creases, announced by a rounded nose a la Alfa’s exotic 8C sports cars with sweptback headlamps and a large, triangular grille. Other design elements include bulging wheelarches, a rising side-window line, and a sculpted liftgate topped by a small spoiler.
Sizewise, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano is comparable to the slow-selling Audi A3, a main U.S.-market competitor along with the 1-Series and maybe the BMW-built Mini Cooper Clubman. Milano rides the basic platform of Fiat’s mass-market Bravo compact sedan, but ups the ante in power, technical features and image.
The 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano will share the Bravo’s basic strut-type front suspension, but reportedly gets a new independent multilink rear suspension to provide the extra-sporty handling associated with Alfa’s famous sports cars. Electronically controlled auto-adjust shock absorbers are due as well. Also on the technical menu are electrohydraulic power steering, 4-wheel disc brakes with ABS, an antiskid system with traction control, and Alfa’s “Q2” electronic differential that apportions power between the front wheels like a mechanical limited-slip diff. The Milano is also sure to offer Alfa’s “DNA” driving dynamics system that alters powertrain and chassis responses through Dynamic, Normal and All-Weather modes--DNA, get it? The platform is engineered to accept all-wheel drive, and we hear that option is being considered, though we wouldn’t expect it in the first year or two.
In line with its premium-brand positioning, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano should list expected upscale features such as leather upholstery, heated seats, navigation system, music-player and phone connections, high-end audio, and the usual power accessories. A full complement of airbags is another given. Look for standard 17-inch alloy wheels, with 18s optional, judging by the photos we’ve seen. The Milano is also bound to offer the inevitable sport-package suspension and cosmetic upgrades.
In all, the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano looks to be another tasty Italian recipe that should spice up the compact-car scene. But a good many things have to fall in place before Americans get the chance to buy one. Given Alfa’s acknowledged mastery with “enthusiast cars,” we’re keeping our fingers crossed.
A Notable Feature of the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano
The 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano should offer a high fun-to-drive factor--no surprise with this brand--but it also promises zippy performance together with budget-pleasing fuel economy. European data show the 1.4 gas-turbo model doing 0-60 mph in a brisk-enough 8.5 seconds and close to 40 mpg on the regulation EU combined driving cycle. The 2.0-liter turbodiesel does even better, reaching 60 mph from rest in 8.2 seconds and delivering over 50 mpg overall. If U.S. models do as well in real-world driving, they will be more than competitive with the agile, thrifty Mini Cooper and most any other premium compact car.
Buying Advice for the 2011 Alfa Romeo Milano
There’s little to say now on this score, except maybe to keep your fingers crossed, as we are. The Milano looks to have a lot going for it, but we won’t know for certain until we get our hands on one, and that’s still some months off. One thing we are pretty sure of is that unlike Alfas of the past, the new-wave models should be world-class for workmanship and reliability, as indeed they must be in today’s global marketplace. And Fiat is succeeding on those counts, as its products are highly regarded by European consumers who are no less demanding than Americans. Let’s also not forget that the Chrysler connection should mean consistent, high-quality nationwide parts and service support, a far cry from the handful of often inept Fiat/Alfa dealers that American owners suffered in the late 20th century.
2011 Alfa Romeo Milano Release Date: There’s no precise timetable yet, not even in Chrysler’s plea to the feds. As noted, though, Fiat hints the Milano could be in U.S. showrooms as early as mid-2010, though we suspect the launch will end up being toward the end of the year.
2011 Alfa Romeo Milano First Test Drive: Again, nothing official has been announced, but the above scenario suggests U.S. media previews being scheduled for the second or third quarter of 2010.
2011 Alfa Romeo Milano Prices: Despite the dollar’s recent value rise against the euro, we’d guess the Milano will be priced on par with British-built Mini Cooper Clubmans and well below putative German-sourced rivals like the BMW 1-Series or Audi A3. Factoring in likely standard equipment and published estimates of UK-market pricing yields possible U.S.-model stickers ranging from $21,000 base to around $25,000 with a hefty option load.
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