Italian carmaker Fiat, now led by Sergio Marchionne, is quite interested in the US market, and according to older rumors, it was preparing to launch quite a few of its vehicles in that territory soon. After the company took control of Chrysler, things became even more certain.
Up until now, only two models have chances to appear: the Fiat 500 city car and the Lancia Delta, albeit rebadged as a Chrysler. Another brand which was rumored to be preparing models for the US was Alfa Romeo, but as we learned at the end of 2009, the company is being revised by Fiat, so that it can turn a greater profit.
Speaking with Autocar at the Detroit Auto Show, Marchionne said that although the brand is struggling, he won’t give up, and even though it hasn’t reached US shores, Alfa models still have a chance.
“Alfa has been underperforming for a long time,” said Marchionne. “It has been the most difficult part of Fiat’s recovery, even though on paper it looks so attractive. The marque isn’t for sale, or anything like that. It’s our problem. But we do have to rethink our objectives and be realistic with ourselves before we we do anything else. [Alfa’s US launch plans are] being worked on diligently. But I want to see us achieve two things before we proceed. First, I want to see how well we do launching the Giulietta. From the technical point of view it’s a huge step forward, but I want to see how it fares. And I want to see how we can take advantage of that through the company. It’ll take about a year to make that assessment.”
So, until the Alfa Romeo Giulietta becomes a success in Europe, no other model will be preparing for a trip across the Atlantic. Let’s hope things will get better for the Italian company.
Source: Autocar
