The best news you will hear from Alfa Romeo. Ever!

Car magazine brings word of some great news from Italian icons Alfa Romeo. In fact we’re not sure you’ll hear anything better than this as far as Alfa is concerned. Yep, it’s even better, on the whole, than anything to do with the gorgeous 4C.

Fiat-Chrysler CEO, Sergio Marchionne, hopes to reach 300,000 annual sales for Alfa Romeo and to achieve that he wants to lure buyers of traditional German saloons to the Italian brand. To do that he needs to get the driving dynamics of Alfa Romeos to compare favourably against BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

And here it comes.

To do that Marchionne wants to ditch front-wheel drive platforms from Alfa Romeo in favour of rear and all-wheel drive models. That’s right, no more FWD models from Alfa and in their place will be RWD models to take it up to the likes of the BMW 3 and 5 Series, and the Mercedes C and E Class.

Apparently Alfa plans to introduce four new models, two saloons and two SUVs, with a company insider telling Car: “Sure, design is important, Italian flair is important, top-notch quality is important. But it is impossible to challenge Audi, BMW and Mercedes if you cannot match the Germans in terms of vehicle dynamics and driving pleasure.”

Amen brother.

But there’s still more. Alfa will work closely with Maserati to develop their rear-wheel drive future. Maserati is already helping out with the production of the 4C and the further strengthening of the relationship with Maserati should go some way to giving Alfa Romeo’s new rear-wheel drive models instant credibility.

We’re told the next-generation Giulia will compete with the 3 Series/C Class and is expected in 2015. The following year a new Alfetta will hit the streets, aimed at the 5 Series/E Class.

A pair of SUVs are expected to follow in 2017 and 2018 with their sights set on the Audi Q3/BMW X1 and Q5/X3.

Bring it on!

[Source: Car]