Small cars don’t usually do that well in the US, wIth the exception of a few models such as the Honda Fit and Mini, many of the small cars sold here are not that great. Especially the current small cars from Detroit. Because of this many US car buyers stay away from the sector, which means tiny sales and even tinier profits for automakers. Alfa Romeo’s MiTo would be a great competitor to the Mini, but CEO Sergio Cravero recently stated that the small Alfa may not be coming here.
“A preliminary product assessment for a sporty three-door small hatchback showed potential volumes in the U.S. right now are roughly 20,000 units a year,” Cravero said. “That is not enough to make it a viable business case.”
Of course this could all change if US car buyers start buying more small cars. In the meantime we will be getting a five-door mid-sized hatchback, named the Milano in 2011.