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Rumors of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta’s death may be greatly exaggerated: Fiat Chrysler Automobiles recently filed a trademark application with the United States Patent and Trademark Office for the long-running Italian car nameplate.
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Filed by FCA last week, the trademark application signals an “intent to use” by the Italian-American company. Whether the Giulietta name will be used in the United States on a warmed-over version of the current Giulietta compact hatchback or a completely redesigned car remains to be seen.
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It’s also possible the name will be applied to a concept car that Alfa hopes to show globally or that the brand will opt to christen a forthcoming Giulia coupe as the Giulietta to separate the two models as was done by BMW with its 3-series and 4-series. An FCA spokesperson informed us that Alfa Romeo officially has no plans to bring the Giulietta or the even smaller MiTo to the U.S. market.
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- Instrumented Test: 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.0T AWD
- Lightning Lap 2017: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio
- Alfa Romeo Giulia: Pricing, Specs, Reviews, and More!
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Nevertheless, the filed trademark would get the ball rolling on U.S. sales of the Giulietta should plans change. The Alfa Romeo Giulia, with its $ 38,990 starting price, leaves plenty of room for a model below it in the U.S. lineup, so we’re not ready to give up hope on the Giulietta yet. Plus, offering a Giulietta similar to the current model on our shores would provide the Italian luxury brand with a direct competitor to small luxury cars such as the Audi A3, the BMW 2-series, and the Mercedes-Benz CLA-class. Alfa Romeo dealers could surely use a more affordable product to drive additional traffic into their showrooms. The Giulietta could be that vehicle, although Alfa may want to develop a sedan version for American buyers, who prefer that body style to hatchbacks.
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