Febbraio 2010
Chrysler hints at the return of Alfa Romeo to Canada
Sergio Marchionne, Chrysler Group LLC chief executive, gave his clearest indication yet that the Alfa Romeo brand may make a return to the North American market as the Detroit automaker continues to look for ways to integrate its new partner, Fiat SpA.The bulk of Chrysler's sales in Canada still stem from its trucks and minivans. But the automaker is hoping to add some sex appeal to its car offerings with Fiat products in the years ahead, including the introduction of the Fiat 500 in showrooms later this year.But Marchionne, also head of Fiat, said just last month that a strong business case would have to be made for the Alfa, last seen in North American in the mid-1990s."I'm a lot more confident now ... that Alfa Romeo will reconstitute a product offering that is acceptable globally, and more in particular in the United States and Canada," he recently told reporters in Toronto."There is a strong likelihood that the brand will be back here within the next 24 months."Further, Marchionne has said if the new Alfa Romeo 169 gets built, the luxury sedan will be built in Brampton, Ont., providing a boost for manufacturing in Canada. A decision on the 169 is expected by year-end.But it's not just Alfa that Chrysler is looking at. Fiat is also a world leader in the small-and compact-car segments. That know-how is going to play an integral role for Chrysler in Canada in the years ahead, said Reid Bigland, Chrysler Canada Inc. chief executive.While Chrysler took the No. 2 sales spot in Canada last month, sales of cars fell 39 per cent during January compared with the same month in 2009."They have a weak product lineup right now," said Dennis DesRosiers, DesRosiers Automotive Consultants Inc. president. "Sixty per cent of the market are (compact and subcompact) cars, and they're weak in that segment."But the introduction of the Fiat 500 at the end of the year, and more brands in the years ahead, should finally help Chrysler crack that market. The Fiat 500 could become an immediate competitor to the Toyota Yaris and Honda Fit subcompact cars when it arrives.Fiat's technology is also going to start finding its way into other products, such as its new Jeep Grand Cherokee, which will harness the European company's multi-air engine technology.
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