What's up with Alfa Romeo?
Stellantis has been in the news quite a bit lately, and while we've heard plenty about Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram, Alfa Romeo has been noticeably absent.
When you think Stellantis, odds are Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram are the immediate automotive brands that come to mind, but they aren’t the only ones under the umbrella. Fiat and Alfa Romeo also fall under the Stellantis umbrella, but we haven’t heard much on the latter for a while. As it turns out, there’s a reason for that: Alfa Romeo isn’t doing so hot.
Alfa Romeo sales are dwindling
As of 2022, Alfa Romeo had 135 dealerships throughout the United States, and while that isn’t a bad number by any means, their sales numbers tell a different story. As of July, Alfa Romeo sold 4,777 vehicles in the United States. That comes out to an average of around five to six Alfa Romeo vehicles per month for each dealership. Those numbers aren’t improving as the year goes on, either. Adding Q3 2024 into the mix brings Alfa Romeo’s total United States sales to 6,818 vehicles.
Originally, Alfa Romeo was targeting global sales figures in the 80,000 range for 2024. Unless that trend sees a dramatic reversal in the final few months of the year, the Italian brand will be lucky to hit 45,000 vehicles sold. Globally, Alfa Romeo sales amounted to 38,975 vehicles in the first three quarters of the year.
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Simplified ordering follows falling sales figures
Simplified ordering is never a good sign for any vehicle as it’s usually the step that comes before axing models from the lineup completely. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what’s happening over at Alfa Romeo. For 2025, the Tonale, Stelvio, and Giulia will come in just one unnamed trim level.
While you can still opt for a handful of packages, formerly standard features are now available at extra cost. For example, some tech features have been added to an available Assist package. Per a press release for each model, Stellantis claims the simplification is made to the benefit of buyers as the updated single-trim models offer more standard features than the outgoing base trims.
Stellantis has already said they don’t plan on cutting any brands just yet, but Alfa Romeo's future isn’t looking good. With an incoming new CEO and a rising need to cut costs, we may have to say goodbye to the Italian brand within the next few years.
Alfa Romeo plans to go all-in on EVs by 2027
Much like the other brands under its umbrella, Stellantis is planning to electrify the Alfa Romeo lineup. According to Reuters, Alfa Romeo confirmed it plans to have an EV range of cars available by the 2027 model year. Whether that’s the right play in the United States is up for debate.
Alfa Romeo launched its first EV in Europe, originally dubbed the Milano, earlier this year. Due to political pressure, however, the name was changed to Junior. The Alfa Romeo Junior subcompact crossover is available in the European market with all-electric and hybrid powertrains. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like we’ll be seeing the Junior hit American shores anytime soon.
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In 2023, Alfa Romeo launched the Tonale PHEV crossover. According to the timeline Stellantis provided, an updated Stelvio should launch in the second half of 2025. The Giulia will follow sometime in 2026.
In Europe, EV sales are still on the rise, so there may be some appeal there despite Alfa Romeo’s falling sales in their home country of Italy. On the bright side, Alfa Romeo has a pretty small lineup and if their EVs ride on the STLA platform, it could be a cost-effective, potentially last-ditch effort for the Italian automaker.
Final thoughts
Alfa Romeo hasn’t seen much success since the Italian brand reentered the United States back in 2017. With sales falling dramatically over the past year, the brand’s future has to be in doubt, even if Stellantis won’t admit it.
While revered marques like Jeep and Ram are safe thanks to their more popular range of vehicles, Alfa Romeo doesn’t carry that kind of weight. While the brand could continue to exist in Europe despite falling sales there as well, we may see it leave the United States again in the near future.