Alfa Romeo’s new CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, believes that the brand’s vehicles should always be focused on the driver. That, he says, means that the cars his brand builds will have the fewest screens possible.
“Alfa Romeo has a particular position [in the automotive world],” Imparato told France’s Caradisiac. “The driver at the center, the fewest screens possible […] I’m not selling an iPad with a car around it, I’m selling an Alfa Romeo.”
Even as the company makes the slow switch to electrification, Imparato thinks that delivering an engaging drive and centering the car around the driver will be crucial to the brand’s success.
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The new CEO has already made some big decisions for Alfa Romeo. Imparato has already said that the brand will ditch its rear-wheel drive Giorgio platform in favor of the Stellantis’ STLA-large architecture. That’s the same platform that is set to underpin upcoming Maserati sedans and SUVs, so it’s unlikely to be devoid of charm.
So committed is the new CEO to credible performance, in fact, that he pushed back the unveiling of the Tonale. Initially intended to be unveiled around now, that was reportedly pushed back three months in order to improve the performance of the plug-in hybrid’s powertrain. Imparato has also previously indicated that Alfa Romeo will have a renewed focus on the U.S. market.
Brought in from Peugeot to run Alfa Romeo following the creation of Stellantis, Imparato has a tall task ahead of him, but he seems to be saying the right things to cater to the desires of the Italian brand’s fans. The move against screens flies in the face of the wider industry, which seems to have gone all in on them – but his commitment to build driver’s cars should be welcomed by quite a few customers.
