Just had a surprise call from Alfa customer services, advising me they were taking orders for Alfa Giulia Veloce at dealers now I was told. Delivery sometime in 1st quarter next year. She was not so exact on delivery date. I confirmed with her she was referring to the 278bhp model and she confirmed.
I sent an email about 2 days ago asking when Alfa planned to launch in UK, did not expect a call from Alfa UK. They advised the dealers should be aware and taking orders now.
Has anyone ordered one yet? Thought I would put it out there as not seen this anywhere else.
I wouldn't be surprised if this is an error, it seems to contradict the UK product manager for Giulia who did a Facebook live presentation last Friday. Customer services are based in Italy.
Was a bit surprised, but she was from uk from accent, caller ID was hidden. I'll call my dealer tomorrow and check. Was expecting a longer wait than this, considering all the motoring press are saying alfa are not specifying how quickly the venice will be rolled out across Europe.
The AR Australia website suggests there will be two version of the 2 litre petrol: 147 and 202 kw (276hp). If such a model is planned for Australia there's no reason they couldn't sell it in UK.
The call that I had two months back said that there are no firm plans to launch in the UK yet. So maybe there is now? Surely Alfa UK could confirm or deny either way. It'll definitely sway what I buy (ie alfa or non-alfa!)
I have just spoken to Alfa Dealer in Croydon. They just confirmed now taking orders for the veloce. He is going to send me a spec list and all the information he has now. Was hazy on when they might get the cars because of brexit and RHD. Estimated June though.
Said the launch was last week, don't get more low key than that, not one mention on the internet or press.
Cant wait though. Might go in and order this weekend.
I am interested in the updates on this thread too. Everything I see and hear implies nothing has been arranged as of yet. And the very last article I read suggested we wouldn't get, or at least might not get, the proper Q4 version.
If you can't afford a QV (and I most definitely can not) the Veloce is the one to go for!
I mean, the UK was always going to get this trim but I'm fairly amazed this information is just dripping out. Confirmation on the Q4 question would be good.
June is too far away for me so I'm not annoyed I plummed for 2 years of a QF but ARUK have a lot of work to do across the board.
Well, I called the local dealer in Kent who did not know any more and they are going to dig into it and get back. I just ordered a petrol super with them a few days ago so I will be annoyed if the veloce is out imminently for order! I also called Croydon as they are directly linked to Alfa rather than being a franchise, who told me they will most likely start taking orders very soon. He is apparently going on some ARUK training next week and will have more info then and has promised to email me as soon as he has more info on specs price etc. in the meantime if any of you here get any details on price spec etc please do share.
Well I was going to call a dealer but haven't had time today. If you are speaking to Croydon then please share whatever info you get from them. If they are a direct link to ARUK then that's our best chance at knowing something surely.
I honestly can't believe this though, it can't be right. They need to make a much bigger song and dance about the higher powered variants arriving.
It's probably a mix up re the speciale or something....
A few possibilities:
1. ARUK want to get some deposits to back up their business case for a 280 RWD petrol.
2. They're talking about the 180 diesel Speciale that appeared on the UK configurator last week (quietly).
3. There's going to be a 200 petrol Speciale which was talked about by ARUK at the launch events.
4. As a surprise to ARUK (but in response to the business case that was put in), Italy have actually homolgated the 280 RWD petrol and are directing ARUK to start selling it.
I hope for everyone's sake (or almost everyone) that it is the last one. But I don't think it all moves that quickly. Personally I'm pretty sure given the choice I'd have wanted the 280 but bought the 200 anyway.
So Speciale looks inside and outside exactly the same as Veloce in the rest of Europe.
Now introducing the actual Veloce - wouldn't that be confusing?
Also, in some way, having both Speciale and Veloce in the lineup might take away some of the Veloce's exclusivity? :tired:
But it seems you'll get RWD only 280 hp, which the rest of Europe for some unexplained reason does not, that's very nice indeed!
thanks for your efforts on this - and what looks like a definitive answer - was beginning to worry that the super order was the wrong one! suspect if I wait for the Veloce it will be like waiting for the 159 replacement! let them continue building my super
I spoke to Motorvillage, the alfa dealer in Croydon. Really weird this, ARUK definitely told me they were launching the veloce. I confirmed it was the 278hp model, she said yes. Motorvillage confirmed they could take orders for a 278hp model veloce. But they could not guarantee when delivery would be. He said he would email information, nothing yet. I will chase today.
I spoke to Peter at Motorvillage, the alfa dealer in Croydon. Really weird this, ARUK definitely told me they were launching the veloce. I confirmed it was the 278hp model, she said yes. Motorvillage confirmed they could take orders for a 278hp model veloce. But they could not guarantee when delivery would be. He said he would email information, nothing yet. I will chase today.
When I spoke to Motorvillage Croydon, he did not know prices specs etc, but took my email. He said he was going on some aalfa training next week and was hoping to get more info. That made me skeptical and hence decided to call ARUK directly. The chap was definitely British as I rang a UK landline number, he did not have any info on launch either. I then got a text with a case reference number. Then a call from what sounded like the European call centre by the accent following up my case number, she did not have any info on UK launch either, but she has promised to contact the UK product manager and let me know the definite answer which I am awaiting having given them a deadline until next week. In the meantime, my local dealer chased up independently and confirmed there is no official news as explained in my previous post. Make what can of it ! Please let us know what Croydon say. I am inclined to forward this thread to the UK product manager so they are aware of this mess and what it does to the brand image!!
Sales people are driven by their monthly sales targets so it's not generally worth their while worrying about next month. I test drove a Giulietta a couple of months ago at Croydon and the guy didn't know the spec of the car in the showroom ,telling me it was a Speciale when it was a Super with options. The car I drove was a prefacelift ,which Ive already driven instead of the new model as they just want to shift stock.
If somebody in South Yorkshire is in discussion with the Croydon Alfa dealer that shows me the whole car buying and selling thing is a complete mess everywhere. Is it the desire for "a deal" or the paranoia that you could have got it cheaper somewhere else partly to blame? By the time I'd finished buying my wife's new Kuga the product, a car, was incidental.
I don't get the impression Motorvillage would be my first choice even though it's equidistant with another dealer. I think Alfa need to keep a derivative up their sleeve for once the Giulia gets established but also the Veloce would be a better version for people to see around than one on smaller wheels.
Just seems to me that Alfa are missing a huge opportunity to really push the Giulia. The way I see it is the veloce rounds off the offering for most people looking for this type of car. I can't afford the QV but want something with a bit more poke than the standard range.
Im sure there will be quite a few others in this position. This model should be shouted from roof tops to make sure it is on peoples list of potential cars. At the moment they seem to be actively muddying the waters. That will put a lot of people off, if they know about this car at all.
This. If they had announced it along with the rest of the range I'd have placed my order by now. But since they didn't, and I knew it was inevitably coming, I didn't order another variant.
Alfa UK have just told the dealers that we are getting a RWD 280bhp Veloce version. It is going to be announced in January with pricing and options. We know nothing else.
How you know about the price increase?? This flies against everything I have tried to establish factually. What a complete mess!
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