Italian premium car marque Alfa Romeo is reportedly planning an electrified revision to its line-up, starting with a possible electrified revival of its iconic GTV in either a retro two-door or contemporary four-door coupé model.
British automotive publication Autocar revealed on Monday that Alfa Romeo was in the planning stage of a potential line-wide electrification strategy intended to demonstrate the company’s embracing of electrification and other key technologies.
Part of the newly-formed Stellantis umbrella – which took shape earlier this year through the merge of Fiat Chrysler and Groupe PSA – Alfa Romeo is hoping to revive its brand through a revitalised electrification of its line-up.
Prime amongst the candidates for electrification, according to Autocar, was the Italian marque’s iconic Alfa Romeo GTV. “There’s no announcement at this stage, but [in] the GTV I’m very interested,” said the Italian brand’s new CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato, speaking to Autocar.
According to various sources within Alfa Romeo speaking to Autocar, the brand is currently considering various proposals for a revival of the GTV, which could take the form of a retro-inspired coupé or a contemporary four-door coupé. Though, Autocar adds that both an electrified combustion engine and a pure-electric drivetrain are being considered.
Further, planning documents referenced by Alfa Romeo insiders reportedly suggest that the potential electrified GTV could be targeted at the Tesla Model 3 and BMW’s newly unveiled i4 electric saloons.
Autocar further explains that Alfa Romeo boss Imparato is preparing a “groundup renewal of its line-up by the middle of the decade” with potential future models to be based around an all-new platform and electrified drivetrains from Stellantis. Having established a 49-strong team of managers to direct the brand’s electrification strategy, Imparato believes Alfa Romeo “the potential to be the global premium brand of Stellantis”.
But the first car to really benefit from Alfa Romeo’s position under the Stellantis umbrella will be the brand’s upcoming third SUV, known internally as the Brennero, which will be produced alongside successor models to the Fiat 500X and Jeep Renegade in Poland from early 2023, and will serve as the future entry-level point to the Alfa Romeo line-up.
Expected to be based on the PSA-developed CMP platform – now known as the STLA Small – and which underpins a wide range of models, the STLA Small can house multiple powertrains, meaning that the Brennero will be available with both a combustion-engine and pure-electric engine.
The Brennero is also set to be Alfa Romeo’s first electric production model and will boast a 134bhp electric motor powered by a 45kWh battery and should have a range somewhere around the 320-kilometre mark.
In addition to adoption of the STLA Small platform, Imparato has pushed the brand to also adopt the STLA Large platform, originally developed by fellow Stellantis brand Peugeot.
Set to be used for all future combustion-engine Alfa Romeo models as a replacement for the company’s own Giorgio platform, the STLA Large platform was developed to support electrification and will allow Alfa Romeo to offer mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants of future models without the need for an expensive redevelopment of the Giorgio platform.
Already engineering is underway to adapt various systems used by the Giorgio platform, including its steering and suspension, to the new STLA Large structure.
It is uncertain when Alfa Romeo will adopt the STLA Large platform, but insiders speaking to Autocar expect it to be sometime in 2023 and 2024.
Autocar also reports that the Alfa Romeo Spider and Mito could also be up for consideration for an electric revival.
Joshua S. Hill is a Melbourne-based journalist who has been writing about climate change, clean technology, and electric vehicles for over 15 years. He has been reporting on electric vehicles and clean technologies for Renew Economy and The Driven since 2012. His preferred mode of transport is his feet.