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The mood at this year’s Paris Motor Show: Quiet

The Paris Motor Show, held every other year in the early fall, typically kicks off the annual cavalcade of automotive conclaves, one that traverses the globe between autumn and spring, introducing projective, conceptual and production-ready vehicle models to the international automotive press, automotive aficionados and a public hungry for news of our increasingly futuristic mobility enterprise. But this year, at the press preview days for the show, the grounds of the Porte de Versailles convention center felt a bit more sparsely populated than usual. This was not simply a subjective sensation, or one influenced by the center's atypically dispersed assemblage of seven discrete buildings, which tends to spread out the cars and the crowds. There were not only fewer new vehicles being premiered in Paris this year, there were fewer manufacturers there to display them. Major mainstream European OEM stalwarts such as Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Nissan and Volkswagen chose to sit out Paris this year, as did boutique manufacturers like Bentley, Aston Martin and Lamborghini. This is not simply based in some antipathy on the part of the German, British and Italian manufacturers toward the French market — though for a variety of historical and societal reasons that market may be more dominated by vehicles produced domestically than others. Rather, it is part of a larger trend in the industry. Last year, Mercedes-Benz announced that it would not be participating in the flagship North American International Auto Show in 2019 — and that it might not return. Other brands including Jaguar/Land Rover, Audi, Porsche, Mazda and nearly every exotic carmaker have also departed the Detroit show. Some of these brands will still appear in the city in which the show is taking place, and host an event offsite, to capitalize on the presence of a large number of reporters in attendance. And even brands that do have a presence at the show have shifted their vehicle introductions to the days before the official press opening in an attempt to stand out from the crowd. In many ways, this makes sense. With an expanding number of automakers, with diversification and niche-ification of models and with wholesale shifts that necessitate the introduction of EV or autonomous sub-brands, there is a growing sense that, with everyone shouting at the same time, no one can be heard.

Alfa Romeo's next GTV could arrive as an electric flagship sedan

Like every brand under the Stellantis umbrella, Alfa Romeo has until 2030 to prove it deserves to live. It's reportedly planning a major overhaul that could bring the well-known GTV nameplate back to the range on an electric sedan. Newly-minted company boss Jean-Philippe Imparato recently said he's "very interested" in making a modern-day GTV, though he significantly warned nothing was set in stone yet. British magazine Autocar understands that all options remain on the table, and one of them is putting the GTV emblem on a battery-powered sedan with a coupe-like roof line. Simultaneously GT and EV, it would be the Italian firm's answer to the BMW i4, among other sedans. It would slot at the very top of the lineup, at least in terms of price and probably in terms of performance. If the rumor is accurate, it would mark the first time the GTV nameplate appears on a four-door in the Alfa Romeo portfolio. It's been used on a number of models since its introduction on a gorgeous, Bertone-designed coupe in 1965, and they've all had two doors. Alfa Romeo came close to dusting off the GTV nameplate on a two-door version of the Giulia which would have been aimed at the BMW 4 Series and Audi's A5 line. While this strategy would have followed tradition (the original GTV was closely related to the original Giulia), the project was canned at an advanced stage due to a perceived lack of demand. Had it been launched, it would have offered a 50/50 weight distribution and about 600 horsepower. Alfisti who find the idea of an electric, four-door GTV unpalatable shouldn't worry yet. Insiders told Autocar that the nameplate might alternatively make a comeback on hybrid coupe; its fate hasn't been decided yet. Of course, it could also not return and remain in the history book, where it's been since the last GTV retired in 2004. What's seemingly certain is that new Alfa Romeo models are around the corner. One is the production version of the Tonale concept, which was reportedly delayed by Imparato earlier in 2021 due to issues with the hybrid system that will be available at launch. Replacements for the Giulia and the Stelvio are said to be in the pipeline, too.  Related Video: Green Alfa Romeo Electric Future Vehicles Performance Sedan

Reid Bigland appointed CEO of Alfa Romeo, Maserati

There's been a big shakeup in Fiat Chrysler's leadership team, as head of US sales and FCA Canada CEO Reid Bigland will replace Harald Wester as the chief exec for Alfa Romeo and Maserati. Wester will retain his position as chief technical officer of FCA. Both men will hang onto their positions on FCA's Group Executive Council. The move is an interesting one considering the widely publicized issues at both Alfa and Maserati. Alfa Romeo's problems are almost too many to list. The brand has promised a full-scale return to the US market for more than a decade, but faced repeated delays. Its latest volume model, the Giulia, is being savaged by reviewers over quality issues, and the company has frequently pushed its upcoming CUV back. If that were the only problem, it'd be annoying, but according to Automotive News, Alfa's relaunch is also considerably over budget. Maserati is an entirely different can of worms. Alongside Alfa, it's been stung by a slow Chinese market. Profits are down, according to Automotive News, and it's been widely rumored that the company will delay its next sports car, the Alfieri, until 2018 – it was previously promised for this year. Meanwhile, two of its three other models, the Quattroporte and GranTurismo, are dangerously long in the tooth, and the Levante is still months away from US sales. Can Bigland sort these issues out? Maybe. As Sergio Marchionne said in his official statement, "[Bigland] has an extraordinary record of growing sales and market share in the US and Canada over the last 7 years at FCA, including leading the growth and positioning of the Ram and Dodge brands for part of that time."