When it comes to the badge on the front of the new Mazda MX5 based sportscar it seems like Fiat Chrysler have had a change of heart – literally! If reports from Europe are to be believed it looks like the famous Alfa grille will be ditched in favour of badging the car a Fiat.

When you look at this in the context of the positioning of Alfa as a prestige marque this does seem like a sensible decision. The MX5 has always been a sports car for the people and fits perfectly with Fiats fun and youthful image. It also works well from an historical point of view; the new Mazda based spider can be seen as a perfectly natural successor to the Fiat Spider of the 70s and the cute little Barchetta of the 90s.

Where does this leave Alfa and its sportscar offering? Well it looks like they might be planning a higher-end hero car that will place the marque above Fiat and below Maserati. Fiat Chrysler believe there is a sweet spot in there somewhere.