Alfa Romeo News

Just weeks after stepping down as the head of European-American automotive conglomerate Stellantis, Carlos Tavares is standing by the decisions that forced the embattled former CEO into resignation.

In the face of ever-tightening vehicle emission performance standards for car and light commercial vehicles applied by the EU’s European Commission and growing inventory, particularly in North America, the world’s fourth-largest carmaker Stellantis has decided to reduce production of selected petrol and diesel models across its brand portfolio.

Alfa Romeo is known for sleek sports cars, compact hatchbacks and sporty sedans, so why is its first electric car a small SUV?

Alfa Romeo’s smallest model since the MiTo hatchback is also one of its most crucial.To make sure it stacks up, Alfa’s engineering team benchmarked the Junior against some interesting competitors during development.The sub-compact SUV will be offered in hybrid and electric guise in Europe in the coming months and the electric - or Elettrica - version has been locked in for an Australian debut at some point in 2025.The flagship of the range is the sporty Junior Elettrica Veloce, which we recently drove at the international launch in Italy.Speaking with Australian journalists at the international first drive, Alfa Romeo Head of Products Daniel Guzzafame said there were a range of different models that Alfa used to benchmark the Junior, and those models varied depending on the Junior’s powertrain and grade.“So for some performance is mainly the comfort. The Volvo is the right competitor so we compared that to the EX30 on that. But Volvo driving dynamics is not the right competitor. It would be too easy to say we are better than Volvo, okay. So I have the feeling of driving the XC40, it's like being on a truck. I love the car (XC40) but it's just not the intent,” he said.“So we took other references for that, so low-speed handling and dynamics it's the Mini, and high speed in electric there was not really much so we tested the BMW i4 and the Ioniq 5 N for the handling.“But again, that's because the reality is that there is not really something that can compare. And we were wanting to do something that was different from anything that was on the market. So it was not easy to get something really one-to-one compare.”While the Volvo and Mini were to be expected, the BMW i4 was a surprise.All Elettrica grades come with a 54kWh battery and the base Elettrica delivers 115kW/260Nm, while the Veloce pumps out 207kW/345Nm. The driving range is 410km and 334km respectively.The engineers focussed on injecting Alfa Romeo DNA into the Junior, ensuring it has Alfa’s light and direct steering, and handling prowess thanks to a sporty suspension setup, a mechanical self-locking differential as well as front and rear anti roll bars and sportier brakes.The Junior has a lot of weight on its sculpted shoulders as it is tasked with driving sales in Europe and in many global markets. It will not, however, be offered in the United States as it is seen as too small and niche for that market.In Australia it will face competition from rivals like the Lexus LBX, as well as a pair of models - the Peugeot E-2008 and incoming Jeep Avenger - that both share the same eCMP Stellantis platform as the Junior.When asked if the Junior had the potential to be Alfa’s best-selling model globally, Guzzafame said: “In terms of global sales, we'll see,” he said. “It will depend on the weight of Europe versus the rest of the world. If I look at today's line-up, next year, probably it will be, but it's also because we have a range to be renovated and in different countries that will need to start so next year probably the weight of Europe will be higher because of this model. And so if it's not going to be the most sold, it will be for sure at par with the others.”He added that other upcoming new Alfa Romeo models have the potential to be global best sellers, but that the Junior would top the brand’s tally in Europe given the continent’s preference for small, efficient cars.Other Alfa models on the horizon include the next-gen Stelvio next year, the next-gen Giulia in 2026 and then a yet-to-be revealed model that is expected to be larger than the Stelvio.

Alfa Romeo is in the middle of launching one of its most important models in decades, but there are a bunch of new models on the horizon that should get the Alfisti excited.

Alfa Romeo has revised details of the Veloce version of its Junior small SUV.It is the new pure electric halo for the Audi Q2, Mercedes-Benz EQA, BMW X2 and Lexus LBX rival.The Italian marque has upped power from an initial 180kW rating to 207kW while torque sits at 345Nm from the single front-mounted electric motor.Choosing the 207kW figure was no accident, with the Junior small SUV's outputs then matching Veloce versions of the Giulia sedan and Stelvio medium SUV.Along with 27kW more power, Alfa has retuned the Junior Veloce's chassis, adding sharper steering, 25mm lower springs and firmer anti-roll bars.No stopping there. The Veloce also features larger 380mm front brake rotors clamped by four-piston brake calipers, a Torsen locking differential OEM-tweaked tyres fitted to 20-inch alloy wheels.Alfa says the same teams that worked on the Audi RS4, BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63-rivalling Giulia Quadrifoglio sports sedan have been involved in the process.This is not a full-fat Quadrifoglio version of the Junior, though. There have been no announcements of that nature.Underneath the Junior's sharply-styled bodywork sits a 54kWh battery pack – identical to the Peugeot E-2008 and Jeep Avenger with which it shares its 'Common Modular Platform' (CMP) – giving it a circa-410km driving range.Fast-charging is capped at 100kW (DC) for sub-30 minute 10-80 per cent recuperation.A petrol-electric hybrid version producing 100kW is also part of the range along with a detuned 116kW electric version.The Junior – previously known as Milano – is expected in Australia in the second half of 2025. Full pricing and detailed specifications will become available closer to the Junior's release.

Alfa Romeo’s resurgence is almost complete as the Italian brand prepares to add a fifth model to its line-up.The carmaker is weighing up two options at polar opposite ends of the market according to UK publication Autocar.The two models on the table are a large SUV to rival the Porsche Cayenne or a small hatchback to go back to Alfa Romeo’s roots.Alfa Romeo chief Jean-Philippe Imparato told Autocar: “The question is do we go up ? And for me the answer is yes: we have to go up.”“The alternative is to go back to a C-hatch, because we have everything – the compact, saloon, C-SUV, D-SUV. So the question is: up or down?” he said.The popularity of large SUVs in major markets such as the US and China will likely mean Alfa Romeo will go down that route.It recently revealed the Junior, a pint-sized SUV, that should appease European tastes for smaller vehicles. The mooted large SUV could share similar styling to the new Junior SUV, too.This will join the Tonale compact SUV, Stelvio mid-size SUV and the Giulia mid-size sedan in the brand’s rejuvenated range.Imparato hinted a large SUV could be revealed as soon as 2027 if the brand decided to go down that path.It’s likely this car would be electric, considering the brand has committed to going EV-only by 2027, which is when this new vehicle is due to arrive.Details are scarce but there are hints at what could be underneath the electric large Alfa SUV.Alfa Romeo and Jeep are owned by Stellantis, and the American brand recently revealed its Wagoneer S built on the company’s “STLA Large” platform that would underpin the Alfa Romeo.The Wagoneer S is promising in excess of 480km electric driving range from a 100kWh battery pack.Dual electric motors produce 448kW and 837Nm and it can complete the benchmark 0-100km/h sprint in about 3.4 seconds. 

The Australian new-car market is facing a period of almost unprecedented change, say some legacy manufacturers, with the influx of new Chinese brands set to put out legacy manufacturers in what is already one of the world's most congested and competitive markets.

Alfa Romeo has unveiled swan song special editions for its Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models. Limited to 450 examples worldwide, the Giulia and Stelvio Super Sport (split 275 for sedan and 175 SUV) celebrate Alfa’s first victory at the Mille Miglia endurance race in 1928 at the hands of Giuseppe Campari and Giulio Ramponi in an Alfa 6C 1500 Super Sport.Six examples of the Giulia Quadrifoglio Super Sport ($174,200) and three Stelvio Super Sports ($183,200) are coming to Australia using the 375kW 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6. This could be the engine’s last mass-production outing with an electric Giulia due next year. The Giulia Sedan is a stand-out option among peers including the Audi RS5, BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S – the same can be said of the BMW X3 M and AMG GLC 63 S rivalling Stelvio medium SUV. The ‘690T’ Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6’s 375kW and 600Nm outputs are unchanged for the Super Sport models though an Akrapovič exhaust system has been fitted to add more bark to the Quadrifoglio experience.Both models use an eight-speed automatic transmission and the Giulia drives its rear wheels while the Stelvio powers all four.Alfa Romeo says the Giulia Super Sport benefits from a re-tuned mechanical limited-slip differential (LSD) with learning from the track-focused GTA model. The tweaks apparently increase stability without sacrificing agility, benefitting cornering speeds. There are none of the GTA or GTAm’s chassis changes here. The Super Sport variants use 19-inch (Giulia) and 21-inch (Stelvio) five-hole alloy wheels. The Stelvio does not score the different LSD so changes are limited to visual ones. The cars share a black-backed Quadrifoglio badge for the first time as a follow-up on last year’s gold-accented centenary insignia. Carbon-fibre aerodynamic parts, including a functional front splitter, feature on the Giulia. Both vehicles are available in Etna red metallic or Vulcano black – Alfa white paint is reserved for the Giulia. Inside, the gear shift surround gets a new carbon-fibre material with red finish to match the embossed headrests that carry the car’s individual number. As much as these Super Sport editions celebrate Alfa Romeo’s storied racing history, they also signal that Alfa is coming to the end of its combustion journey and the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s V6 aren’t going to live forever. Alfa has confirmed its 2025 Giulia replacement will be electric and based on Stellantis’ ‘STLA’ EV only architecture. The Stelvio is expected to follow suit. With only six Giulia and three Stelvio Super Sports, Australian buyers will want to get in quick.2024 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio pricing before on-road costs 

Have you ever categorically committed yourself to something only to then have second-thoughts and try to get out of it? It can be awkward at a social event or work occasion, but it may be incredibly difficult if you’re a multi-billion dollar car maker.