Popular Fiat 500 not likely to make it to America, Fiat boss says

Even though the Fiat 500 is swimming in praise in Europe, the chance that this popular little car will make it to the U.S. is small and not getting any bigger. According to Just Auto, Fiat brand CEO Lorenzo Sistino "side-stepped" the question during a speech at the IESE Business School's Automotive Sector conference in Barcelona, Spain. Fiat doesn't have a dealer network in America but it will be reintroducing the Alfa Romeo here soon. Since the focus will be on Alfa Romeo, adding Fiat cars to the showrooms would not be the right more, Sistino said.

Just Auto reports Sistino said, "The first brand that Fiat Auto will be selling in the US [on re-entry] will be Alfa Romeo. The discussion about Cinquecento [as the 500 is also known] follows a media report and the idea that the Mercedes Smart is the first such example and that Fiat could follow. I cannot give you an answer now. Certainly the Cinquecento is an absolutely outstanding car for us and maybe it can have opportunities outside Europe. But in the US, the dealer network [lack of] would be an issue for sure - it would present a bottleneck. Probably we would have to think about some new distribution solution."

So, there you have it. Until we hear otherwise don't go to the new Alfa Romero dealers expecting to see a Fiat there the way you can find a Mini in a BMW dealership today.