Alfa Romeo looks to boost customer service and awareness as it electrifies

Alfa Romeo dealer Kareem Radwan is looking forward to seeing the brand expand this year with the upcoming Tonale plug-in hybrid crossover.

The Tonale will be Alfa's first new vehicle since the Stelvio crossover in 2017 and its first electrified option, offering 30 miles of electric range.

Larry Dominique, Alfa's North America vice president, on Friday said he hopes the Tonale can help build familiarity for the brand in the U.S. as it prepares to go fully electric by 2027. This was the first make meeting for Alfa since its 2014 return to the U.S., and Dominique was pleased by a strong turnout.

Radwan, who owns K&S Alfa Romeo of San Diego, said the meeting had positive vibes. Executives told dealers they would work to ship more high-performance, hot-selling Quadrifoglio trims of the Stelvio and the Giulia sedan.

"The brand awareness is getting out there now," Radwan, who has been an Alfa dealer for a little more than a year, told Automotive News. "People are starting to see it in America more and getting to know it. That's why I purchased because it's such a sexy brand. It's got so much coming forward in the future."

Dominique said last month that Alfa can't survive if its customer service scores continue to be the worst among premium brands, so more effort will be needed from dealers.

"I've been in touch with many of these dealers already," he said Friday. "I've visited many of them face-to-face already to make sure we make that connection as a brand. They told me very clearly they appreciate the fact that we had this dedicated session. They were able to talk to me directly and to my team. My entire team was there."