“I still get people that walk up at gas stations like, ‘Oh my god, what is that?’ ” Dominique said of driving the brand’s vehicles. “We need to cover a broader number of segments. Our focus is going to be on volume segments. We’re not trying to go outside the core markets for premium, for sure.”
Dominique said he wants dealers “to get fully reengaged on Alfa.” The brand has 138 stores in the U.S. At one point, Dominique said, the count was 177.
He said dealers can count on Alfa Romeo having stable leadership, because he doesn’t plan on going anywhere and is having fun with the brand.
Dominique is working with dealers to build their confidence in him, the management team and the brand’s product strategy. But he has made it clear that Alfa Romeo can’t survive if its customer service scores continue to be the worst among premium brands, so more effort will be needed from dealers.
“Our network has shrunk over the last couple of years, but the core dealers love the brand, and they want to succeed with the brand,” Dominique said. “So now it’s about really working with them to reengage, get ready for electrification and really start to move the brand forward.”
Alfa Romeo is likely smaller than some would have expected at this time, Dominique admits, but he doesn’t mind having a more streamlined and agile network to work with. Its U.S. sales peaked at 23,800 in 2018 and haven’t topped 19,000 in any year since.
