Alfa Romeo News

Petrol- and diesel-powered cars are back on the agenda in Europe. France and Germany are brokering a deal to see the European Union will walk back from its 100 per cent CO2 emissions reduction target, opting for a 90 per cent reduction instead, according to a report in Auto News. The old rules would have completely phased out petrol- and diesel-powered cars by 2035, but the EU has changed its tune. The EU is expected to also remove any offset requirements for the remaining 10 per cent that would have required carmakers to pursue expensive low-carbon steel or alternative fuels. This news means European carmakers will continue to build internal combustion cars for the foreseeable future. Rumours of the EU rolling back its emissions targets started in 2025, when multiple reports speculated the ground-breaking ban was in doubt. President of the European Parliament’s biggest party, the EPP, Manfred Weber told German newspaper Bild in December 2025, the 2035 plans were “off the table”. Weber said that “there will also be no 100% target from 2040 onwards”, ruling out a complete combustion engine ban in the future. The rules have come under extensive scrutiny from key stakeholders, including German giant Mercedes-Benz. Chief Executive Officer Ola Kallenius criticised the inclusion of offsets as part of the rules in March 2026, with offsets now all-but officially ruled out. “I know the market for green steel and how unrealistic those expectations are,” Kallenius said. He also said the rules could trigger a collapse in demand and distort the market. New cars sold that emit high levels of CO2 incur fines for brands under Australia's New Vehicle Efficiency Standard (NVES). By contrast, brands earn credits for cars that emit no CO2. The federal government has no plans to ditch NVES and is targeting five million EVs on Aussie roads by 2035, but some carmakers have criticised the rules. Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley said regulations like NVES force carmakers to build cars to satisfy the rules, not buyers. “What we’ve seen around the world with this kind of pressure on pure EVs is that ultimately all OEMs develop compliance vehicles,” Farley said. “They’re not designed for customers. They’re designed for the OEM to be compliant and they’re subsidised by the OEMs and the customers have great choice. “That’s not a natural market and over time that winds up not being sustainable. “Something your government, or any government, has to be very sensitive to around the CO2 glide path. We want to reduce our CO2 footprint, but there’s a level that the customer can’t afford, and not all duty cycles can be electrified.” The NVES regulator handed down the inaugural 2025 performance period for NVES in early 2026. Mazda accrued over 500,000 emissions debits, which was the most of any brand, while Nissan and Subaru rounded out the top three. The regulator will release details of the 2026 performance period in February 2027, before the rules get even tougher in years to come. Some hybrid models will start to incur fines under the scheme, while utes will also come under scrutiny.

Alfa Romeo may not be troubling the scorers much in terms of new car sales so far in 2026 but a new $15K ‘factory bonus’ on its Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport and Estrema models may drive an up-tick in the run home to the end of the year. The limited-time price offer lowers cost-of-entry for the Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport from $174,200 to $159,200, before on-road costs, while the Giulia Estrema drops from $186,990 to $171,990, BOC. Sales across Alfa’s four-model line-up - Giulia (sedan), Stelvio (medium SUV), Tonale (small SUV) and Junior (light SUV) - are running at a relative trickle this year with the brand down close to 39 per cent year-on-year to the end of September. That said, the Giulia has been the second-biggest contributor (behind the Junior), accounting for 82 of the Italian maker’s 265 sales. The Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport is an aggressive, high-performance, four-door sedan powered by a muscular 2.9-litre all-alloy twin-turbo V6 sending 375kW/600Nm to the rear wheels via an eight-speed auto transmission. A clear rival to Audi's (upcoming) RS5, BMW's M3 and the Mercedes-AMG C63S E Performance, its claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is an ultra-rapid 3.9 seconds with a maximum velocity of 307km/h. Tech highlights include active suspension with adaptive damping, a mechanical limited-slip differential, active front splitter and multiple ‘DNA’ drive modes. Released in Australia earlier this year, the Giulia Quadrifoglio Estrema adds: Akrapovič titanium exhaust (with carbon-fibre finishers) Monochrome badging Carbon exterior mirror caps Red key covers ‘Scudetto’ carbon grille Door projector lights Carbon illuminated door sills Black (Brembo) brake calipers Black rear nameplate badge $0 special paint Commemorative built plate Certificate of authenticity The price offer is valid until December 31, 2026 and applies to new and demonstrator models ordered and delivered by that date (while stocks last).

At the 2026 Paris motor show Plenty of brands provided a preview of what’s to come for buyers . Some of the world’s biggest carmakers put their work on display from ultra-affordable EVs to retro reboots of past successes.  Here is some of the biggest news to come out of the show.  Smart has revealed a new compact EV called the #2.  Boasting a two-door and two-seat layout, it’s roughly 1200mm shorter than a BYD Atto 1 and slightly bigger than the original Smart ForTwo.  It has a 330km driving range, according to WLTP standards and can DC fast charge from 10 to 80 per cent in 20 minutes.  BYD sub-brand Denza has unveiled its answer to big hitters like Ferrari and Lamborghini with its Z electric sports car.  A close rival to the Mercedes-Benz SL Class, the Z is BYD’s first full-on performance model.  It will use a three electric motor set-up, producing 880kW, with a 0-100km/h time of less than two seconds.  Another Chinese brand is destined for Aussie shores.  Ultra-luxury brand Avatr showed off its T09 large plug-in hybrid SUV concept for the first time. It is due to launch in Australia in 2028 or 2029.  Citroen’s electric 2CV successor has landed.  The compact EV is due for launch in 2028, at 3760mm long shaping up slightly shorter than its petrol predecessor but still boasting a roll-top fabric roof.  It’s expected to be offered from a very affordable price point in Europe, but we’re unlikely to see it Down Under.  Fiat has revealed a bold new concept called ‘multiplay’, which can transform between a people mover, SUV and ute.  Measuring 4450mm long, the car shares a similar footprint to the BYD Atto 3. It features a sliding rear roof and C-pillar to enable conversion from a three-row family car, to a ute or an SUV depending on its specific requirements.  Alfa Romeo has given its iconic V6 engine a hybrid twist. Its Cuorerosso concept uses a conventional hybrid set-up, comprising a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 engine as well as some electric motor assistance.  The Italian brand developed the concept to show off the future direction of its Quadrifoglio sedan.  Renault unveiled two futuristic EV concepts.  The E-Space concept is an electric reboot of the Espace van and people mover.  The E-Space is similarly sized to the current Espace van on sale, but uses a fully-electric set-up and features a standout sleek design.  The French brand also showed off its radical Renault 5 Turbo 3E that is a limited-run production EV version of the Renault 5 Turbo.  Its electric motor set-up produces 410kW, while riding on a fast-charging 800-volt platform.  Renault will only build 1980 examples of the car to pay homage to the original birth year of the Renault 5 Turbo.  Peugeot provided a look into its future.  The rally-inspired E-T16 concept is a nod to the 1980s 205 T16 Group B rally car, and its three electric motor set-up, makes around 600kW. Its aggressive styling and blacked out accents are said to be a showcase into future styling for Peugeot.  The RCZ Vision concept is an electric sports car based on the original 2+2 sports coupe.  It features plenty of cutting-edge technology, including a solid-state battery with 10 to 80 per cent fast charging in under 10 minutes.  The car’s electric motor set-up produces 373kW, while a curved ‘double bubble’ roof is a reflection of the original design. 

An elaborate EV battery fire safety measure is in the works. Stellantis, owner of Alfa Romero, Jeep, Ram and more, has filed a patent for a system that can eject a car’s high-voltage battery during an emergency. The car would then use a small 12-volt battery to allow the vehicle to drive just far enough away from the ejected battery. Stellantis’ new patent filed in the United States is called the “High-Voltage Battery Quick Release System For Vehicle”. Someone must manually activate the quick-release switch or lever located in the cabin or in the boot for the system to activate. This will disconnect the high-voltage battery and decouple it from the vehicle, but it’s unclear exactly how this will happen. There looks to be a sliding-frame mechanism and a small explosion (“pyrotechnic features”) to free the battery and drop it onto the surface below.  The system could be used in situations where there is a fire risk or an otherwise dangerously-damaged battery after a crash.  Once the main battery pack has detached from the car, a 12-volt battery will power the wheels to move the car just far enough away from the damaged battery.  It’s expected this system could be fitted to any vehicle, but there is no official news on whether Stellantis is actually planning to use it. EV battery fires are rare, but self-sustaining thermal runaway causes cells to ignite sequentially, making them difficult to extinguish and very dangerous. In September 2025, Chery showed off its iCar 03T SUV with a mechanism that shot the battery out to the side of the car. The system copped heavy criticism online from users, who pointed out the potential consequences for other road users hit by the fast-moving and heavy battery.  Stellantis’ system does not appear to shoot out of the car at the same speed, rather it just drops onto the floor, but this could still be problematic for any cars travelling behind. 

Alfa Romeo is at a crossroads with the famous Italian carmaker’s upcoming mid-size SUV critical to its on-going viability. Currently owned and managed by giant auto conglomerate Stellantis, Alfa’s global year-on-year sales dropped 21 per cent for the first half of 2026, with Australian registrations down 51 per cent (to just 139 units) on a less than stellar 2025 H1 result. Arresting that downward slide is addressed in the group-wide Stellantis Fastlane 2030 initiative, which positions Alfa Romeo as a ‘regional brand’ focused primarily on Europe with two significant new models coming down the product pipeline - a C-segment (medium) SUV to replace the current Tonale and a new ‘Bottega Fuoriserie’ project, likely a compact hatch to compete with the BMW 1 Series and Mercedes-Benz A-Class. The Alfa Romeo Bottega Fuoriserie is a bespoke, limited-production division created in partnership with Maserati to “revive classic Italian coachbuilding.”     Speaking at the National Automotive Industry Roundtable organised by the Italian Ministry of Enterprises and Made in Italy (MIMIT), Stellantis Chief Operating Officer of Enlarged Europe Emanuele Cappellano has shown a teaser image of the new Alfa C-SUV showing a rear design detail. Cappellano confirmed the C-SUV is based on the group’s STLA Medium platform, will feature “multi-energy powertrains and will be introduced to compete in the heart of the market”. He added the new model has been designed at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo in Turin, is set to be built at the Melfi plant in southern Italy and is scheduled to be officially unveiled in the fourth quarter of 2027. The new car is part of the Stellantis strategy for Enlarged Europe, the company targeting 15 per cent revenue growth and expanded portfolio coverage with a “C-segment offensive" underpinned by widescale use of the STLA One platform. There are 14 core brands under the Stellantis umbrella - Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram and Vauxhall.   The company has said Fastlane 2030 is aimed at sharpening management practices, investing in global platforms, powertrains and tech as well as optimising the company’s manufacturing footprint while raising product quality. Designed to focus on core strengths it positions Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat as global brands with Chrysler, Dodge, Alfa Romeo, Citroen, DS Automobiles, Opel and Vauxhall defined as regional brands.

Alfa Romeo’s stylish and refreshed hybrid SUV is here.  The brand has announced pricing and specifications for its updated Tonale small SUV in Australia.  It will be offered as a petrol mild hybrid, with prices starting from $64,990 9before on-road costs), which is the same as before.  Plug-in hybrid power is now an extra $1500, with prices starting from $78,990. The Tonale is similarly priced to the BMW X1 that is available in petrol ($66,700) and PHEV ($79,500) set-ups.  It will also tackle the revamped Cupra Formentor that just got a sizeable $7000 price cut in Australia ($53,990).  PHEV variants of the Formentor are $4500 cheaper than the comparative Tonale, starting from $74,490.  The petrol mild hybrid Tonale is powered by a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, producing 128kW and 240Nm, supplemented by a small electric motor and 48-volt battery. The PHEV also has a 1.5-litre four-cylinder turbo-petrol engine, but adds a larger electric motor to boost power to 198kW and 270Nm, along with an all-wheel drive system. Its 15.5kWh battery has an all-electric driving range of 59km, according to WLTP standards.  The car has received a new sharpened design as part of its refresh, including a re-thought front grille and new 19-inch alloy wheels.  It also has several new interior features as standard. Seats are covered in a synthetic leather, and the front ones are electrically adjustable, with heating, ventilation and memory function.  The steering wheel and windscreen washer nozzle are also heated.  Elsewhere in the cabin, there is a 12.3-inch digital driver display and 10.25-inch central touchscreen, along with a wireless phone charger. It comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There other convenience features like an electrically operated tailgate with hands-free function, and keyless entry and start.  Alfa Romeo has introduced special edition variants of its Tonale and Junior SUVs, called the Ibrida Sport Speciale.  The Junior is priced from $51,990, while the Tonale starts from $68,990, so they are both more expensive than base versions of their respective models.  The Junior is a compact SUV, powered by a 1.2-litre turbo-petrol mild-hybrid system, producing 107kW and 230Nm.  It sits under the Tonale in Alfa Romeo’s range.  The special edition flair to these models adds synthetic leather and Alcantara seats, as well as a sunroof and a glossy black body kit. 

Stellantis, which owns brand such as Peugeot, Jeep, Alfa Romeo and more, has seemingly abandoned its multi-energy strategy for sub-compact new model entrants in Europe, confirming it will focus exclusively on the ‘E-car’ category, an EV-only classification introduced by the European Union earlier this year. The M1E category (better known as E-car) represents small, fully electric vehicles and is inspired by Japan's Kei car system, with the aim of slowing the proliferation of large SUVs in European cities.  There are 14 core brands under the Stellantis umbrella - Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Citroën, Dodge, DS Automobiles, Fiat, Jeep, Lancia, Maserati, Opel, Peugeot, Ram, and Vauxhall. The move effectively sidelines Stellantis light car pure-combustion and hybrid options across the EU. Speaking at the Automotive News Europe Congress in Brussels, Belgium, Stellantis Chief Operating Officer for Enlarged Europe & European Brands Emanuele Cappellano confirmed the group’s future light cars will only be available as battery-electric vehicles. This direction flies in the face of Stellantis’ broader push towards freedom of customer choice and multiple powertrain options across models and categories. It means cars like the Fiat 500, currently available as a battery-electric vehicle or mild hybrid, are headed towards a pure-electric future. Likely alluding to increased competition from emerging Chinese brands, Cappellano added, “With the current price competition level, Stellantis cannot sustain the level of investment we need to advance our technology and product offering.” He said that instead of offering multiple powertrains in every segment, Stellantis will focus on making its small EVs affordable, with the goal of positioning them below the €15,000 (~$25,000) threshold. In reporting Cappellano’s comments Automotive News points out that the price cap target “undercuts nearly all EVs sold in Europe”, pointing out the Renault Twingo Electric’s starting price of just below €20,000 (~$33,000) and the Leapmotor T03’s at about €18,000 (~$29,500). Two M1E compliant minicars, underpinned by a dedicated E-Car platform, have been announced by Stellantis - an as yet undefined Fiat model and a reload of the Citroen 2CV. By comparison, the Stellantis ‘STLA One’ platform, covering small, compact and mid-size cars, accommodates multiple powertrains. To qualify as an M1E model a car’s powertrain must be pure-electric, its overall length must not exceed 4.2 metres and it has to comply with strict safety criteria. The classification provides CO2 ‘Super-Credits’ for manufacturers while opening up the option of government subsidies to underpin purchase incentives as well as multiple owner benefits like discounted or free city parking, reduced insurance and easier access to low-emission zones.

One of the biggest car makers in the world has reportedly forked out billions in warranty claims over the past year.  Stellantis, parent company of brands like Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Peugeot and Jeep has paid out the equivalent of more than $10 billion in global warranty expenses for the 2025/26 financial year.  This tough reliability run has seen Stellantis begin a complete reset of its processes to get on track.  The big news out of this reset is that the brand will launch its first model riding on its new STLA One platform next year.  The brand said the platform will underpin up to 30 new vehicles in the small and mid-size SUV categories.  This will equate to more than two million sales annually by the time 2035 comes around.  Stellantis also said it is targeting improvements to quality even before this new platform gets underway.  “If we do the right things earlier in the program, that means that when we get closer to launch we’ll have fewer problems,” Stellantis propulsion systems testing and analysis lead Mark Christie told Auto News.   “The product life target for powertrain components is 10 years and 150,000 miles (about 240,00km).” The brand is plotting the launch of 23 new and updated models in the next four years across its portfolio.  It has been a turbulent time for Stellantis in recent years with the departure of Chief Executive Officer Carlos Tavares and subsequent appointment of Antonio Filosa. The brand reported a $37 billion net loss earlier this year. Reports indicate focus will shift to Fiat, Jeep, Peugeot and Ram, but other brands in the group will benefit from the technology acquired. Peugeot recently unveiled its all-new E-208 GTI fully-electric hot hatch in what will be an early test for Stellantis' change of direction.  

Jeep and Peugeot parent company Stellantis has announced a plan to launch 110 new or refreshed vehicles by 2030, including 60 brand new models, as part of sweeping changes to the business, which include an optimised manufacturing footprint and tweaks to the company’s partnerships and platform strategy. This wide-reaching set of changes is part of a grander plan Stellantis dubs FaSTLAne 2030 in order to “maximise capital efficiency, avoid duplicate spending, and support profitability”. Stellantis will optimise its global factories, accelerate research and development to reduce model cycles to 24 months rather than the current 40 months, and sharpen its pencil on cost competitiveness and quality. In terms of where its portfolio of 14 brands will sit in this plan, the company said it will focus on four global brands: Jeep, Ram, Peugeot and Fiat. It said Chrysler, Dodge, Citroen, Opel and Alfa Romeo are “regional brands”, while its luxury European arms, DS and Lancia, will be managed by Citroen and Fiat respectively and “developed as specialty brands”. Maserati will be “strengthened” with a plan including two new large vehicles to be announced at a later date. The realignment will also see Stellantis’ platform strategy sharpened, with the group planning 50 per cent of its global volume to be on just three platforms as it continues to consolidate its global portfolio, which was previously split between the US market and Europe where the company is strongest. It specifically earmarked its STLA One platform as being the primary growth driver. This new modular platform is expected to underpin a huge percentage of the company’s global model footprint in much the same way as Volkswagen Group’s MQB and MEB platforms currently do, and will seemingly replace the current CMP and EMP2 (aka STLA Small and Medium) platforms it inherited from PSA. It will be the first platform to roll in all of the brand’s latest tech, like the STLA Brain computing system, STLA SmartCockpit UI system and new steer-by-wire technology. The company says the STLA One platform will launch in 2027, has the ability to cover small to upper-mid-sized vehicles, and will allow the brand to reduce complexity across much of its line-up. It is capable of supporting multiple levels of electrification from hybrid to full EV, and will have an 800-volt electrical architecture. By 2035, STLA One will underpin 30 new models and is expected to account for two million sales. It will also come with a realignment of its manufacturing presence. Stellantis will reduce its capacity in Europe by 800,000 units, re-purposing factories, while increasing production in the US, the Middle East, and Africa, with a goal of at least 80 per cent utilisation. Meanwhile, it will lean on its partnership with Leapmotor for more expansion in the Asia Pacific region, which it described as an “asset-light” region. Partnerships of previously unprecedented scale will help Stellantis toward its goal, with existing deals opening doors for Leapmotor and Dongfeng to manufacture cars in Stellantis facilities in Europe. The partnership with Dongfeng, which also works with Nissan, will form the basis for two new Peugeot and two new Jeep models. Meanwhile, the recently-inked memorandum of understanding with both Indian giant Tata and its Jaguar Land Rover unit will open more doors for Stellantis in India, and JLR in the US where it hopes to side-step tariff requirements. Locally, Stellantis’ historic brands and even its new Leapmotor portfolio are struggling to make an impact on Australia’s more-competitive-than-ever new car landscape. Jeep, once the crown jewel of the group’s offering Down Under, has taken a battering year-to-date, down 65 per cent to just a handful of sales (249 units) made up predominantly of its signature Wrangler off-roader. It is a similar case for Peugeot, which is down 32.3 per cent so far this year, moving 320 units, nearly half for its Partner van (142 units). The best performing brand under the Stellantis umbrella has, unsurprisingly, emerged as Leapmotor, which has had reasonable success in 2026 off the back of its competitively-priced B10 small SUV. Leapmotor has moved 420 units this year, up 116.5 per cent.

Diesel isn't dead after all: Why the owner of Peugeot and Jeep is making up for lackluster EV sales with diesels.