Wondering how one of the most storied brands in motoring will evolve in the age of electric vehicles?

    You’ll need to wait until late in 2023 or early 2024 to find out, but some answers are coming in the form of a concept vision for the brand’s future. 

    “Something is coming that will of course not be the [exact] design of the coming cars, but to set the direction in terms of design, in terms of technology, in terms of software,” said Daniel Guzzafame, Alfa Romeo head of product.

    Alfa Romeo will use its concept to lead in lieu of a flagship sports car, in a bid to “build the showroom” with a “coherent” range of products.

    Setting your direction with a flagship vehicle “means you are constrained to start from the flagship, and then develop everything else”, he said.

    “Maybe the flagship for Alfa Romeo [as an example] is a cabrio. It doesn’t make a sense to put the cabrio in a showroom if you don’t have the rest to sell. First you need to build the showroom, then you put in the cabrio.”

    Mr Guzzafame points to the 4C sports car as an example of what Alfa Romeo is trying to avoid. In Australia, it was sold alongside the Giulietta and MiTo hatchbacks, but in the USA it was the only model on offer in Alfa showrooms for a period of time.

    Alfa Romeo is gearing up to build its range ahead of the switch to electric-only power in 2027. 

    The brand’s first electric car will come in 2024, in the form of a small SUV to sit beneath the Tonale. It’s expected to ride on the same e-CMP platform as the recently-revealed Jeep Avenger, and will offer both petrol and electric power.

    The electric Avenger features a 54kWh nickel-manganese-cobalt lithium-ion battery pack, good for a claimed range of 400km.

    Come 2025, we’ll see the reveal of the first standalone electric Alfa Romeo, with new cars to follow in 2026 and 2027.

    The brand hasn’t outlined exactly how its range will look when the 2027 deadline rolls around, but we have an idea. 

    It currently sells the mid-sized Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV, along with the smaller Tonale SUV.

    Given the potential volumes on offer, electric replacements for the Tonale and Stelvio are guaranteed. Mr Guzzafame confirmed a sports sedan like the Giulia is a brand pillar, and will also feature in some form.

    “You need a Giulia, you need a Stelvio, you need a Tonale,” he said. “Then you need something bigger.”

    Rounding out the range of crossovers will be a large SUV to take on the Volvo EX90 and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV in 2027, as confirmed by CEO Jean-Phillipe Imparato to Dutch outlet AutoWeek earlier this year.

    Mr Imparato has also expressed interest in reviving the GTV coupe, although global interest in coupes is waning.

    Scott Collie

    Scott Collie is an automotive journalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Scott studied journalism at RMIT University and, after a lifelong obsession with everything automotive, started covering the car industry shortly afterwards. He has a passion for travel, and is an avid Melbourne Demons supporter.

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