Alfa Romeo gave up on the compact car market when the Mito and Giulietta were put out to pasture, but now the famed Italian carmaker is making a comeback with the Milano.
The new compact SUV model is set to make its world debut on April 10, and you’ll be able to livestream the reveal on Alfa Romeo’s international website.
The Milano will be the firm’s first B-segment vehicle since the Mito bowed out.
Although it takes the form of a crossover, Alfa’s team of Italian engineers, who also worked on sports cars like the 4C and 8C, have sought to ensure it offers best-in-class driving dynamics and an extremely precise steering geometry.
It’s not a completely unique creation, however, sharing its basic E-CMP underpinnings with the Peugeot 2008 and Jeep Avenger.
Like the latter, it is expected that the Alfa Milano will be offered in mild hybrid and fully electric variants, making it the first of many EV products that the brand plans to introduce between now and the end of the decade.
According to Autocar, the EV version will have four-wheel drive, and its 54 kWh battery will allow a range of around 400km between charges.
The mild hybrid versions will almost certainly employ the familiar 1.2-litre PureTech petrol turbo-triple, originating from Peugeot’s stable.
The Milano is not the only electric product promised by Alfa Romeo, and the most exciting prospect, right at the other end of the scale, is the Giulia replacement that’s due in 2026.
Stunning replacement for Giulia
In a recent interview with Motor1, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean Philippe Imparto confirmed that the upcoming sports sedan would join the new Dodge Charger on the Stellantis STLA Large platform, but it will have a “radically different design” that is nothing short of stunning.
"What we designed is a bomb, we couldn’t finalise the style of this car without being absolutely in love with it. And now we are!"
Alfa Romeo tells us the new Giulia looks the bomb. https://t.co/70Frh0pvlc
— Motor1 (@Motor1com) March 12, 2024
But perhaps the best news, According to Motor1, is that the new Giulia, as well as its Stelvio SUV sibling that’s set to arrive a year earlier, will apparently be offered with both electric and internal combustion powertrains.
Previously it was thought that the flagship models would be EV only. But it seems carmakers are quickly backtracking on their electric-only mentality as worldwide demand comes under pressure.
The Charger has already shown what’s possible on the STLA Large platform, offering electric muscle of up to 500kW, and a straight-six turbopetrol with between 313kW and 410kW. The Alfa versions would most certainly have their own tuning though, with those aforementioned engineers aiming to impart a more Italian feel.
We can’t wait to see what they come up with.
IOL Motoring