2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo Giulia, Stelvio to get special editions, one more refresh

Alfa Romeo has made its plans perfectly clear. It’s going EV, and that means that the Giulia and Stelvio as they exist today with powerful gasoline engines will eventually cease to exist. However, weÂ’re still a few years away from that electric future, so Alfa has a little time to play its current models out with style. We asked senior VP of Alfa Romeo Larry Dominique what we should expect from Giulia and Stelvio in between now and the switch to electric, and he was happy to give us a glimpse at whatÂ’s ahead. “So what weÂ’ve done is develop these buzz models,” Dominique tells us. “The first one is the Estrema, which weÂ’ve already announced and weÂ’re launching it with 2023 production in May. This fall, weÂ’re going to start talking about other things like a Lusso Edition and Competizione Edition and things like that.” WeÂ’ve already heard about the Estrema, but the Lusso Edition and Competizione Edition are both new. The Lusso, if Alfa remains consistent, will likely be a luxury-centered version of the Giulia and Stelvio. ItÂ’s the Competizione that has our attention. Similar to the Estrema, this model sounds like it would be directed toward enthusiasts and feature some performance upgrades. “So weÂ’re going to look at these different components, different parts, QV parts on a Veloce and things like that,” Dominique said. “Unique color combinations and unique colors.” Adding QV (Quadrifoglio) parts to non-Quadrifoglio models is a similarly enticing proposition. We can hope that it comes to pass, because this would result in some rather aggressive-looking Giulias and Stelvios that donÂ’t come with a Quadrifoglio price. Looking into the somewhat more distant future, Dominique says that the current generation Giulia and Stelvio will get one final refresh for the 2024 model year.  “In 2024 model year, weÂ’re going to have a final minor change for Stelvio and Giulia,” Dominique continued. “So youÂ’re going to see some changes visually inside and outside, associated with that. And weÂ’ll continue with the buzz model strategy, even though we have the 2024 change coming at the same time.” If youÂ’re a Giulia or Stelvio fan (as we tend to be), this final refresh car is bound to be a desirable one. Instead of dwindling away without any attention, Alfa is singing its gas-powered Giulia and Stelvio out with a little love before theyÂ’re officially put out to pasture in favor of electric models.

Marchionne: FCA, but not Ferrari, interested in Formula E

It seems like automakers have been clamoring to get on board with Formula E lately. In just the last few weeks a number of manufacturers have either become more directly involved, or otherwise announced entry into the series in coming years. That includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, with the latter two abandoning other series to join the electric one. Now, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says his company might join Formula E as well, according to Motorsport. Previously, Marchionne had toyed with the idea of bringing Ferrari into the Formula E field, but now says that would be unlikely. Instead, he thinks an FCA brand would be a better fit, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. At the moment, Maserati seems like the best fit, as Marchionne just announced that the brand would electrify its entire lineup after 2019, with each car it sells having either a hybrid or electric powertrain. Fans would probably be excited to see Maserati return to racing, and Formula E would be a good test laboratory for the development of electric propulsion technology. Still, another brand could represent FCA in Formula E, and apply the knowledge learned there to its vehicles, as Marchionne says half of the FCA fleet will be electrified by the end of the company's five-year plan ending in 2022. Marchionne said that while Ferrari won't be directly involved, he doesn't know which FCA brand – Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or Maserati – would enter. As interesting as an electric Dodge race car would be, it seems unlikely, especially because of, well, Maserati. We're hoping it's Jeep, though. Related Video: News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Green Alfa Romeo Ferrari Maserati Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Sergio Marchionne FCA Formula E

This is the Alfa Romeo Tonale compact crossover in official images

Alfa Romeo has unveiled the Tonale concept crossover at the Geneva Motor Show. The carmaker was able to keep the Tonale's name and design secret until yesterday, when images of the stand leaked online; the concept was revealed to be a shapely PHEV in metallic red. The concept will lead to a production vehicle, which will be Alfa Romeo's first CUV. Bared and shown in detail, the Tonale concept looks really good — dare we say, on par with recent Mazdas. It blends Stelvio styling cues into a smaller vehicle, but the concept still manages to look like its own thing, and perhaps even better than the bigger sibling. There are classic Alfa Romeo touches like phone-dial wheels, and the front end has a hint of the SZ and Brera coupes of earlier times. The interior, while largely concept-car-like, brings more Alfa styling to the table. The gauges are housed in traditional bucket shapes visible through the steering wheel, conjoined by a central display. There's a large central screen, underneath which runs a central tunnel covering that looks like muscle fiber, repeated in the door cards. The seats are styled like the racing buckets of a sports car. Alfa Romeo states that electrified power has been used for its own means, instead of Alfa bowing down to accept new standards. "The electrification of Alfa Romeo comes at the service of sportiness and emphasizes the famous 'Mechanics of Emotions' mission of the brand," as Alfa Romeo says. This also means the Tonale's hybrid branding will be discreet instead of obvious. The Tonale ("tonal," in English) is a plug-in hybrid, with a rear-mounted electric motor; however, any definite specifications as to the engine, the electric powertrain or the utilized platform remain unannounced. One detail emerges, though: Earlier, fossil-fuel-only Alfa Romeos have used the "DNA" selector for Dynamic, Natural or Advanced Efficiency modes; now the Dynamic mode has been changed to Dual Power, and the other end is Advance E, for full electric mode. Related Video: