Alfa Romeo's first EV could be a subcompact SUV.
Alfa Romeo's product plans have been revised following the merger of its parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, with PSA Group, the parent company of France's Citroën, DS, Peugeot, and Germany's Opel.
The new plans call for two crossover SUVs to be placed under the small Stelvio SUV, thus eliminating the previously planned BMW X5 competitor in the midsize segment. Also dropped were the latest supercar, the 8C, and the Giulia coupe. The good news is that with the new deal with PSA, electrified powertrains, including a battery-electric setup, are on the table.
In 2021, Alfa Romeo will introduce the Tonale compact SUV to fill the void left by the Giulietta compact hatchback, which will be discontinued this year. The Tonale will use PSA's CMP platform and will offer a plug-in hybrid at launch.
A battery-electric-powered subcompact SUV will follow in 2022 to fill the void left by the subcompact hatch MiTo, Autocar reported Monday. It will likely be based on the CMP platform, which is designed for both subcompact and compact cars and can support a battery-electric powertrain.
Other EVs based on the CMP platform have 50-kilowatt-hour batteries and electric motors that produce just 136 horsepower, but Alfa Romeo will add some performance to maintain the brand's sporty positioning, a spokesman told Autocar.
"For the electric car, we will remain consistent with Alfa Romeo's sportiness and approach performance with an electric motor," he said.
By the end of the year, Alfa Romeo's lineup will consist only of the Giulia and Stelvio; once the two new SUVs are added, production is brought to a sustainable level, and emissions targets are reached, specialty models like the modern Spider and new 8C may be on the horizon.
Stay tuned for updates.
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