Alfa cans all-electric bid
Alfa Romeo will have no new products until the end of 2027 after cancelling the electric-only replacements for the Giulia midsize sedan and Stelvio midsize SUV.
The replacements for the models, which are built on Fiat Chrysler platforms, will need to have BEV and combustion-based drivetrains “to offer customers a wider choice”, says chief executive officer Santo Ficili.
The market for larger EVs has cooled in Europe this year, while plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) have made a comeback.
Ficili says Alfa Romeo “has already written” its future product plan under the assumption that internal combustion and EV models will coexist for a longer time than initially forecast.
In the absence of new products, the marque will rely on events and partnerships to sustain interest in the Giulia, pictured, and Stelvio, which were launched in 2015 and 2017 respectively. As an example, he cites a partnership Alfa Romeo signed with the Luna Rossa sailing team.
The Tonale, which was launched in 2022, has received a mild facelift with a bolder front and engines updated to the Euro 6e emissions standard. The car is offered with a 1.5-litre mild-hybrid powertrain, 1.3l PHEV and, in some markets, a 1.6l diesel engine.
Under Stellantis’ Dare Forward 2030 plan unveiled by former CEO Carlos Tavares in 2022, Alfa Romeo was going to launch only full-electric models starting this year and switch to 100 per cent electric sales by 2030. That plan was canned and replaced by multi-energy strategy earlier this year.
Tavares’ replacement Antonio Filosa, who started in June, will unveil a new plan in the first half of 2026.
Ficili says that will include future products as well as new internal and dealer organisations for Alfa Romeo.
He adds the Italian marque will compete in the small, compact and midsize segments, and that “large cars are not the brand’s territory” even though former CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said in 2022 that Alfa Romeo would develop a large model to help the brand grow in the North American market.
