Difficulties for Alfa Romeo and Fiat in the U.S. market continue to weigh heavily, and recent signals offer little encouragement. Fiat’s numbers stand out in particular. During the last quarter, sales fell so low that the brand averaged fewer than one vehicle sold per day across the United States. Alfa Romeo has also failed to reverse its fortunes, as models such as the Giulia, Tonale, and Stelvio have never truly broken through with American buyers.
The issue surfaced openly during the Detroit Auto Show 2026, where Stellantis CEO Antonio Filosa addressed U.S. media. Filosa suggested that the group may reassess the presence of certain brands in the United States, leaving the door open to a selective reduction of its brand portfolio on a regional basis.
Stellantis reconsiders Fiat and Alfa Romeo’s future in the U.S.
Although he avoided naming specific marques, the reference to Fiat and Alfa Romeo appeared fairly clear. Filosa stressed the need for market-specific strategies, acknowledging that not every Stellantis brand delivers adequate results in every region. His stated goal remains to preserve cohesion within Stellantis, but with a more pragmatic and less ideological approach.
Group-wide data reinforces this reassessment. Between 2021 and 2024, Stellantis saw global sales decline by 12.3 percent, falling from 6.5 million to 5.7 million vehicles. The U.S. market performed even worse, with sales dropping 27 percent over the same period. As a result, Stellantis’ U.S. market share slid from 11.6 percent to 8 percent, pushing the group from fourth to sixth place nationally.
For Fiat, talk of downsizing, or even exiting, the U.S. market has circulated for some time. Today, the brand relies almost entirely on the 500e, with the Topolino expected to join it. However, the latter remains a small electric quadricycle rather than a conventional car. Given such a limited lineup, a withdrawal would no longer come as a surprise.
The situation would look very different for Alfa Romeo. Until recently, the brand carried the role of Stellantis’ global premium marque. Leaving the United States would force a major rethink of its positioning, likely steering Alfa Romeo back toward a Europe-focused strategy built around more compact models and reduced emphasis on larger vehicles.
Recent comments from Alfa Romeo CEO Santo Ficili point in that direction. He has confirmed the brand’s definitive withdrawal from the E-segment SUV, which was originally planned for production in Detroit. The decision signals a broader revision of Alfa Romeo’s ambitions, aligning them more closely with European market realities than with North American expectations.
Clear answers, however, will only arrive in the coming months. Stellantis’ new industrial plan, expected mid-year and authored by Filosa himself, will determine whether Fiat and Alfa Romeo continue to bet on the United States or whether the group chooses to concentrate resources on markets it considers more strategic.
