Alfa Romeo has another plan
Alfa Romeo has a plan to come back to life. again. This time, the Italian brand wants to release an important new model every year until 2027. There is even a fully electric sedan of the size Giulia on the schedule for 2024. To earn some money, Alfa also plans the launch of small crossovers. The problem is that for the past fifteen years, Alfa has come up with a five-year plan every two or three years. No plan delivered the desired number of new models, or the sales figures promised.
But now Alfa Romeo has a new boss, Jean-Philippe Imparato. He started in January. We had the chance to speak to him, and immediately held the first failures against him. The latter plan was pricey: an all-new platform plus a new factory. The idea was to put six new cars on this platform. It stranded after two cars: the Giulia and Stelvio. Great cars, but they sell a lot less well (55,000 in total last year) compared to the German rivals.
We must have faith in Alfa Romeo
Imparato doesn’t deny it: ‘Yes. But you know me. You’ll just have to trust me.’ Previously, he turned the fate of Peugeot. He improved the quality, launched the SUVs the market demanded and improved the resale value. Peugeots just got better. In other words, he did what he promised where others before him had failed. And there is another big difference with before: Alfa is now part of the enormous Stellantis group.
Stellantis is designing three platforms for electric cars, of which Alfa will use the largest and most advanced. The brand has a lot of influence on the technology: ‘Our man on that team is the one who made the GTA version of the Giulia.’ The platform will also be used by DS, Jeep and Dodge. The range is up to 800 kilometers with batteries up to 118 kWh. Charging is possible with 800 volts up to 30 kilometers per minute.
Alfa will not build an iPad on wheels
Going electric is an existential choice. And we made it. You can’t be half pregnant. You can’t spread yourself across five technologies. We are at the tipping point,” he says. Alfas will be lightweight compared to other EVs, he says. Inside there will be old-fashioned buttons and whoever drives them will experience character. “I don’t want to sell an iPad with a car around it,” he says. He is also skeptical about autonomous driving in an Alfa. According to him, systems will assist, but it will be the person who drives.
But first the Tonale
The electric sedan sounds exciting, but first comes the Tonale. The small crossover should be in the showroom next year in June. The plug-in hybrid shares the platform with the Jeep Compass, which in turn is derived from the 2010 Alfa Giulietta. We asked Imparato if a small crossover wouldn’t compete with other brands within Stellantis. ‘I need those customers to make money, to pay for the switch to EV. If I only build 100,000 euro cars, I don’t have a business.’
In addition, the small crossover should distinguish itself enough. “When you drive the Tonale, it’s an Alfa. That’s why I postponed the launch for three months. I had to have the right CO2 emissions and the right road holding.’ Finally, we ask about a new Spider. This has already been designed and shown to the dealers. But Imparato says the Spider will remain a dream for now — at least until 2027.
