Alfa Romeo has a busy schedule up ahead to boost its SUV portfolio by rolling out the Tonale to join the Stelvio. The latter is due to receive a mid-cycle facelift in the foreseeable future while an entry-level crossover believed to be called Brennero is coming in 2024. The high-riding portfolio will further be expanded around 2026 or 2027 with a large electric SUV positioned above the Stelvio.
Ok, but where does that leave the Giulia? Sedan fans will be glad to hear the fabled Italian brand won't be abandoning cars. Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Automotive News Europe at Stellantis' Pomigliano factory that there will be a next generation of the BMW 3 Series competitor: "We are not abandoning the Giulia. There will be a future Giulia, and it will be an electric-only model."
2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia
So, there you have it – the Giulia is here to stay, but it's only a matter of time before its internal combustion engines will be discontinued. With Alfa Romeo previously announcing it will become an EV-only brand by 2027, there's no time left for the gorgeous sedan to get a next-gen model with ICEs.
Why is that the case? Because spy shots have revealed a facelifted Giulia is on its way and should hit the market sometime in 2023. It's going to stick around for a few years before bidding adieu to gasoline and diesel engines for the next-gen model.
As to whether the Giulietta will come back in some form, Alfa’s head honcho said the compact Tonale crossover has effectively taken its place. The old hatchback was a Eurocentric model whereas its indirect replacement has been conceived to go global to better fit with the company's expansion plans.
Previously, Imparato admitted there are plans for one-off and few-off sports cars, hinting some of them will take inspiration from the Duetto and Tipo 33. However, cars are currently on the backburner since Alfa Romeo knows there's more money to be made with SUVs. For this reason, the firm will have four of them by 2027.
In the meantime, the Stellantis brand hopes its new Tonale will be the driving force behind a sales boom in a quest to sell more than 100,000 vehicles per year once again. It could happen as early as 2023 and that would double the number of deliveries compared to 2021 when 52,000 vehicles were shipped to customers.
