There are only 1,500 examples of the Alfa Romeo 4C coming to the US. However and Alfa plans on expanding it's U.S offerings in the near future. Now the pressure is on the dealerships to provide a customer experience that rivals other luxury marquees.
Automotive News reports that the Chrysler Group expects Alfa Romeo dealerships to offer concierge type services such as home pickup and delivery for repairs (insert Alfa reliability joke here). But this shouldn't be too much of a challenge considering each dealership will only get a few 4Cs to sell.
The first 87 cars will be making their way to dealership lots this month, but Alfa says it will have a full lineup of vehicles in the U.S. by 2016. While goal is quite ambitious, the Chrysler Group does not want any false starts as it re-launches the Alfa brand in the American market. The last Alfa sold on our shores was in 1995. Having a well-designed dealership network that understands its customers is crucial.
"We're encouraging dealers to step it up a bit. I think they've got to be closer to what this luxury intender [customer] may require," said Peter Grady, Chrysler's head of dealer network development.
Grady said an Alfa Romeo shopper "is more like a Viper customer than it is anything else we've ever seen."
He said that when a 4C is delivered, for example, service technicians will "put the car on the lift, show the customer underneath the car what they can expect" from the suspension and for performance.
When Hyundai launched the Equus in 2010, the automaker had to cover a lot of ground due to their lack of history in the luxury market. They used a concierge type system for Equus sales and service. While Alfa's history in the U.S. is a bit spotty, they are launching with an excellent product. Exciting products combined with a customer focused dealer experience could be a recipe for success.
(Photo Credit: Jalopnik)
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