Alfa Romeo Not Interested In Building Electric SUV

Aug. 01, 2022 4:20 PM ET by Gerhard Horn Electric Vehicles / 9 Comments

It will stick with sedans going forward.

Alfa Romeo is 112 years old this year, which is worth celebrating. More often in financial troubles than not, the plucky Italian brand is on the verge of reinventing itself for the upcoming EV transition. Instead of going the obvious route and building an electric SUV, Alfa's boss has stated that it likely won't.

In a recent discussion with the media, Alfa's CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, discussed one of its upcoming EV products. Earlier reports suggested that Alfa will launch a new car every year for the next five years, and that next year's model will be a compact SUV. There are rumors of a swansong supercar scheduled for 2023, while the all-new Tonale will arrive later this year.

2019-2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Wheels

2019-2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Front View

"Knowing that the DNA of Alfa Romeo is saloon and sportiness, the answer will probably not be an SUV," Imparato said in an interview with Autocar. "I want to reinvent sportiness for the 21st century, providing a high level of range and a high level of performance while also protecting the customer in terms of roominess but without destroying the aerodynamics, which is a key driver of our future development."

Imparato also mentioned that the aerodynamic design would dictate the vehicle, which means it likely won't be an SUV unless the concept of the SUV is redefined. This all-new model is scheduled to arrive in 2027. Perhaps Alfa will design an in-between model like the new Toyota Crown?

2019-2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Side Perspective Driving

2019-2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Front View Driving

The new unnamed vehicle will be electric, designed for and sold in the USA. It won't be a US-only model, however. The US, Europe, and Asia are the biggest markets, and Alfa must design a vehicle that works for every audience. "If I want to be consistent, firstly we go premium, and secondly we go everywhere in the world, then I have to be present in the premium E-segment," said Imparato.

For the time being, the Giulia will live on, but likely only until it reaches the end of its lifecycle. The heavily facelifted Giulia was spied recently, so it probably has a few years left on the market. It will likely be retired, just as the new model arrives.

According to Imparato, this new model will be bigger than the Giulia, making it a direct rival to the 2022 Mercedes-Benz EQE and the upcoming BMW i5.