Fiat sales in the US will take a step up in 2015 with the introduction of the 500X compact crossover, according to the head of US sales at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) speaking exclusively to just-auto.
The 500X was shown at the Paris Motor Show earlier this month and will go on sale in the US during the first half of 2015. It will be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show next month.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
“That model is going to be a great fit for the North American market,” said Reid Bigland, Head of US Sales for Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA), speaking to just-auto at FCA’s Auburn Hills offices.
“It’s a little bit bigger than the 500 but still retains the look and image of that iconic model,” Bigland maintains. “We think it’s a nice package. It’s available with all-wheel-drive, which is great for the winter States here. I am very optimistic about prospects for the 500X.”
Currently, Fiat sells the 500 and 500L in the US and has just introduced an electric 500 in some States. In the first nine months of 2014, Fiat brand sales in the US were 8% up on last year at 35,501 units.
Bigland believes that Fiat has a highly positive image in the US market. “It’s a good image. An image of fuel efficiency, Italian style and design, as well as being fun and funky. Last year we sold over 50,000 Fiats in the US and if you benchmark that to how other makes performed in their first years, our sales growth is really very impressive for the Fiat brand.”
The Alfa Romeo 4C is also being introduced to the US market as that brand re-enters the US market after a twenty year absence. “There is a tremendous amount of excitement about the return of Alfa Romeo in the US,” Bigland says. “The return of Alfa Romeo is really about three things: state of the art technology, incredible performance and the gorgeous Italian styling. The 4C is bang on when you look at those three things.”
In its five-year plan, FCA has talked about eight Alfa models coming to North America by 2018. “You are going to have to stay tuned for the subsequent Alfas,” Bigland added. “You’ll see more models on the North American market in 2016 and these are Alfas that are not on the roads right now.”
