Alpha Romeo Spider on 2040-cars

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Just 45% of Fiat dealers are profitable, and they're angry about it

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On average, Fiat dealers have only been selling about 17 cars a month.
We've been wondering for some time how Fiat dealers in North America have been getting along with just one model range in their showrooms up until recently. Franchisees spent millions building, stocking and manning sleek new 'studio' showrooms, only to have but a single model to sell, the cherubic 500. And even with its many derivatives, the Cinquecento is still an inexpensive model with its attendant lower margins. Perhaps it should come as no surprise then, that just 45 percent of US Fiat dealers are said to be profitable.

Alfa Romeo: Reports of 4C's death by 2020 aren't true

The Alfa Romeo 4C is a purpose-built sports car that hasn't put up stellar sales figures in the US. As we found out, it's an uncompromising machine, which is probably one reason why the automaker is struggling to shift a large number of units. A recent report from Autoline, citing Auto Forecast Solutions, claims that Alfa is planning to axe the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider from its lineup by 2020. The report claims that the automaker plans to cancel the next generation of the 4C to focus on manufacturing new models that would have more sales potential. Alfa only managed to sell 309 units this year – that's only 11 more units than the Dodge Viper, which will be going out of production next year. When we questioned an Alfa Romeo spokesman on whether the 4C would be discontinued by 2020, he stated that no plans had been announced yet and referred us to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles' five-year plan. The plan mentions two "specialty" models that Alfa plans to introduce between 2017 and 2020. It's not clear whether these models would be in addition to or act as direct replacements for the 4C Coupe and 4C Spider. There's also a possibility that the upcoming models would serve the same purpose as the 4C models, but carry different names. The 4C marked Alfa's return to the US since it left in the 1990s. As part of the automaker's comeback, it plans to put a sports sedan, in the form of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, up against the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3 Series later this year. Related Video:

A few more details on Alfa Romeo's subcompact electric crossover for 2022

Last October, Alfa Romeo gave us a few details on a revised four-car lineup to be in place by the end of 2022. With the demise of the Giulietta later this year, the Giulia and and Stelvio would be the only models to carry on. Those two will be joined by a C-segment crossover in 2021 that we know as the Tonale, and a B-segment crossover in 2022 that we don't know much about, but that came with the asterisk, "BEV Variant Available." Autocar has begun putting together pieces of the electric model with a little help from Alfa Romeo. The mag expects the brand's fourth product to be around the size of a BMW X1 and ride on a PSA Group platform, specifically the Electric Common Module Platform (ECMP) already used by cars like the Peugeot e-2008 and Vauxhall e-Corsa. The size and expected specs make us wonder if the BEV crossover would make it here. We get the ICE-powered BMW X1 and Mercedes-Benz GLA, but we don't get the Audi Q2. The powertrain in the e-2008 puts an electric motor on the front axle with 136 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque, powered by a 50-kWh battery pack. Maximum range is 193 miles on the WLTP cycle, which could be considered a low bar for the American market even before factoring in the range reduction when tested on the EPA cycle. The Alfa won't be a re-branded Peugeot, though, with an automaker spokesperson telling Autocar the Italian automaker pledges to "stay consistent to Alfa Romeo’s sportiness and use electric motors for a performance approach." That could mean slightly more output from the motor, without compromising a comfortable ride. It will definitely mean switchable sound creation that aims "to get emotion from both the driver and car." We know Alfa Romeo will release the same crossover with an internal combustion engine, which we'd expect to sit on Peugeot's CMP bones, a likelier proposition for sales in North America. The subcompact won't simply shrink the look of the plug-in hybrid Tonale (pictured in concept form), but will have its own personality. “A family feel will be respected," the rep said. "We have style themes across the range – but we donÂ’t want to do a copy and paste across the lineup, because every segment has its own personality. ..." Unless there's another reboot before 2022, these four models will be the team Alfa Romeo plans to ride to 400,000 annual sales, more than three times the automaker's global sales in 2018.