ALFA ROMEO

Alfa Milano will be a B-SUV with hybrid and 100% electric engines

Jean-Phillipe Imparato is the CEO that Stellantis placed in charge of Alfa Romeo, with the aim of putting an end to the successive negative results and leading the renowned Italian manufacturer back to profits and to a market position compatible with its history full of successes. After placing Peugeot at the heights among generalist manufacturers, Imparato is preparing to surprise again with the recovery of Alfa Romeo, which is why he revealed a series of characteristics of what will soon be his best-selling model, an SUV in the segment B that will show in April 2024, and then start deliveries to customers in September.

From the conversation with the brand's CEO, the first surprise had to do with the name of the B-SUV which, for Alfa Romeo, means “Sport Urban Vehicle” instead of “Sport Utility Vehicle”, as it was previously understood. Intended to join the Italian manufacturer's range as the smallest and most affordable model, below the Tonale, the small SUV is called Milano, thus paying homage to the city that saw the brand's birth in 1910. It will offer only two types of engines, one with a gasoline combustion engine electrified with a mild hybrid solution, the second (and probably the most important) being the 100% battery electric version.

Milano with more power and all-wheel drive... Based on a platform from the Stellantis group, the same one that gives rise to models such as the Peugeot e-2008 and the Jeep Avenger, the Milano does not give up the traditional sporty character of Alfa Romeo, especially because this is the first vehicle from the brand that Imparato has followed since it was designed on a blank sheet of paper. Hence the electric variant announces a 4×4 version, which will necessarily need to mount two motors, one per axle – this will be the debut of this platform with a motor at the back – to improve traction capacity on slippery surfaces. This option is all the more strange as the brand insists on reinforcing the message that this SUV is “Urban” and not “Utility”…

Jean-Phillipe Imparato also said that Milano will have the right to a sportier version, confirming that this will not be called Quadrifoglio, but Perfo. The objective of this strategy will be to increase acceleration capacity, positioning the new electric B-SUV above the competition, which for the CEO includes the Mini Countryman, but not only that. Hence the two engines are understandable, since only with this solution does the sportier Countryman reach 313 hp and guarantee 4×4 traction, which the Milano aims to beat.

And what does the future hold for Alfa Romeo?...We asked the CEO about the reasons that led Alfa Romeo not to adopt the same strategy for the Tonale now embraced by the Milano and Imparato's response could not be more transparent: “When we arrived at the brand, the Tonale was already practically finished, so it was impossible to go back too far and design an electric version. That’s why we chose to give up on the battery version and focused on the PHEV, which we improved in terms of power and autonomy, to fit in with the spirit of the brand.” And everything indicates that they met the public's wishes, since Tonale represents 60% of the brand's sales, having an even greater weight in the company's profits.

As for the future, Imparato guarantees that Alfa Romeo is on the right track and “the financial results prove this”. According to the manager, there is scope to invest heavily in new products and the means to produce them, which will lead to the Cassino factory being adapted to the production of electric vehicles with specific platforms for battery-powered cars. And, in 2025 and 2026, two new 100% electric models from Alfa Romeo will appear for the D segment, both designed on the new STLA Large platform. If we associate this reality with Imparato's guarantee about the electric future for the Giulia, it is not difficult to agree on at least one of these two next electric vehicles.

by Mundoquatrorodas