Alfa Romeo is backing away from a straight leap to full electrification for the next Giulia and Stelvio, with the Italian brand now keeping several powertrain options on the table, from hybrid to pure electric.
It is a telling shift in tone. Even brands that have been among the keenest to embrace electrification are starting to look at the market with a little more pragmatism and a little less doctrine. For Alfa Romeo, the message now appears to be simple: build for how customers actually buy cars, rather than forcing every market down the same route.
More flexibility, less dogma
Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo’s boss, has confirmed that the next Giulia and Stelvio will not be tied to a single technology. Speaking to Autocar, he said the brand wants to offer several solutions: BEV, ICE and PHEV.
In other words, Alfa Romeo is not walking away from electrification, but it is refusing to make it the only answer everywhere. For a maker that sells as much character as it does metal, that is not a minor point. It may well be the central one.
STLA Large widens the brief, but the timetable has slipped
The new Giulia and Stelvio will sit on the STLA Large platform. Originally conceived mainly with electric models in mind, it is also expected to support other layouts, including hybrids and plug-in hybrids. That gives Alfa Romeo useful room to shape the range in a way that suits different markets.
Flexibility, though, comes with a cost. The project needed a degree of reworking, which has pushed the launch back from the earliest plans. In the premium sector, that matters. Rivals such as BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC are already well established, and time spent in development is time the opposition can use to widen the gap.
Bigger cars mean bigger expectations
The next-generation cars are also expected to grow. Giulia has traditionally played the role of the sharp, conventional premium saloon, while Stelvio has gone after the mid-size SUV crowd. More size can bring extra presence and a stronger road stance, but it also changes the equation inside and out.
This is not just about a few centimetres on a data sheet. A larger car may look more substantial, but Alfa Romeo will need to make sure it does not lose the qualities that have defined the brand for years: agility, front-end precision and the sort of driving enjoyment that keeps enthusiasts interested. The faithful will be watching closely.
Under the bonnet, choice rather than a single answer
Early information suggests entry-level versions will use four-cylinder turbo engines with mild-hybrid assistance. Plug-in hybrids are expected to use a 1.6-litre engine combined with an electric motor on the rear axle, in line with other STLA Large applications.
The underlying point is clear enough: Alfa Romeo does not want to sever ties with petrol power overnight. Instead, it is looking to mix conventional engines with electrification, giving buyers more choice and keeping a presence in markets where full EV adoption is still moving at different speeds. For customers, that should mean a wider spread of options based on actual use, rather than whichever powertrain is currently most fashionable.
Quadrifoglio is expected to stay in the picture
Performance-car fans can breathe a little easier. Quadrifoglio versions do not appear to be heading for the chop. Current indications suggest they, too, will move towards electric and plug-in hybrid solutions, while still delivering serious performance.
There is talk of output beyond 670 ch, or roughly 493 kW. Rumours of variants nudging 1,000 ch are also doing the rounds, though there is nothing to support that at this stage. What matters more is that Alfa Romeo does not seem willing to give up its sporting image, even as the rest of the range becomes more electrified.
What it means for buyers
Giulia and Stelvio are not being set up as one-note models. Alfa Romeo is preparing a broader, more adaptable line-up that is less dependent on a single outcome for Europe. In a market that is moving at very different speeds from country to country, that sounds like common sense.
- Alfa Romeo is not switching Giulia and Stelvio straight to full electric power.
- The next generations are expected to mix hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric versions.
- STLA Large makes that strategy possible, but it has delayed the project.
- Both models are set to grow and take on the German premium rivals more directly.
- Quadrifoglio versions are still expected to remain, with performance very much part of the brief.
- The new models are expected around 2027, for the 2028 model year.
For buyers, that is good news if they want an Alfa with some personality without being funnelled into one type of powertrain. For purists, it may feel like another layer of complexity and a little less mechanical simplicity. If Alfa Romeo gets the balance right, Giulia and Stelvio should keep their identity while matching the market far better than a rigid full-EV strategy ever would.
