Prior to the launch of its new hybrid crossover, the Tonale, Alfa Romeo said it is working on improving quality and reliability across the brand. This is an important step, but we'd also like to see some more extensive changes to the existing lineup. Aside from a slight facelift for the 2024 model year and technology improvements from 2022, the Giulia is nearly the same as it was when it debuted in 2016. But what if Alfa gave it a retro-inspired overhaul?

Rendering artist Sugarchow imagined what the Alfa Romeo Giulia could look like if it was inspired by previous models like the 156. The results are simply stunning. He even throws a Giulia Sprint in the background for good measure.

The design is slightly larger than the existing Giulia, which is fine because other compact luxury sedans like the BMW 3 Series have grown in size. The artist even admits that the final product is a bit bigger than he'd like, but says that his next project will be a two-door Giulia Sprint that would rival the BMW 2 Series.

As you'd expect, the rendering shows a stunning red shade of paint, a classic Alfa color. The wheels appear to be taken from the current Giulia Veloce, but look upsized to make the rendering stand out more. We particularly love how the Tonale's connected taillight bar fits so perfectly on a sedan shape.

It's a shame that crossovers are so much more popular than sedans, especially in the United States. When Alfa Romeo first returned to the US, we expected to see an expanded sedan lineup with a 5 Series competitor and a two-door M4 fighter with the GTV moniker, and an 8C supercar.

Sadly, none of these projects have materialized as the Italian brand pushes toward electrification. Let's hope that the switch to EVs allows Alfa Romeo to get creative with styling and go back to some retro designs.