Stellantis confirmed that Peugeot’s return to America is off the table with the appointment of Larry Dominique to the role of senior vice president of Alfa Romeo brand for North America. Dominique was heading up PSA’s efforts to revive the Peugeot brand stateside, and this new assignment signals Stellantis’ intent to focus on growing Alfa’s presence here.
While this is the first official confirmation that Peugeot’s American return was off the table, the announcement was almost universally expected. It was confirmed early Monday by Automotive News (subscription req.) after the announcement of Dominique’s new role; how he intends to steer Alfa’s U.S. arm remains to be seen.
What was already good news for Chrysler is now buoying Alfa Romeo’s future prospects here. While Alfas have been on sale in the U.S. since 2008, then-FCA didn’t put its full weight behind a volume effort until 2017, ahead of the launch of the Giulia sedan, which was well-received by critics (ourselves included) but fell flat. The subsequent launch of the Stelvio indicated that even America’s appetite for crossovers may not be enough to keep the Italian brand afloat.
This is good news for Alfa fans at a time where such tidings are few and far between. Despite the brand’s relatively flat performance in a roller coaster 2020, prospects for the brand’s future here have appeared bleak. Dominique’s appointment means that Stellantis is committed to Alfa in the the short term, if nothing else — at least more so than it is committed to Peugeot’s revival — and for now, that will have to be enough.
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