1976 Alfa Romeo Spider Veloce Convertible 2-door 2.0l on 2040-cars

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Alfa Romeo's first EV reportedly due out in 2024 as small crossover

The first series-produced electric Alfa Romeo model will allegedly make its debut in 2024. Official details aren't available, but a recent report claims that the EV will take the form of a small, entry-level crossover that will be closely related to the Jeep Avenger under the sheetmetal. Don't be alarmed if the nameplate "Avenger" doesn't ring a bell, or if you associate it with a series of Dodge models built from the 1990s to the 2010s. Across the pond, the emblem denotes a hatchback-like, city-friendly front-wheel-drive Jeep built on a platform that underpins several cars in the Stellantis portfolio. It's on these bones that Alfa Romeo will build its first EV, according to British magazine Autocar. The soft-roader could be called Brennero, a name borrowed from a mountain pass in Italy, and the publication wrote that current and past models will influence its design; the report notably cited the original Giulietta released in 1954 as a source of inspiration. Time will tell if that's accurate, and how designers will transfer 70-year-old styling cues onto a mass-produced crossover developed for young, urban buyers. On the electric side of the lineup, the model will share powertrain parts with its Jeep-badged sibling. For context, the subcompact Avenger (which stretches approximately 161 inches long and 60 inches tall) ships with a single, front-mounted electric motor that zaps the front wheels with 154 horsepower and 192 pound-feet of torque. Electricity is stored in a 54-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack, and Jeep quotes a 250-mile driving range when tested on the WLTP cycle used in Europe (the EPA-estimated figure would likely be lower). Like the Avenger, the Brennero will be offered with a gasoline-powered engine in some markets. Again using a Jeep as a reference point, the piston-powered option is a turbocharged, 1.2-liter three-cylinder shared with the Peugeot 208, among others, and rated at 154 horsepower. If the report is accurate, the Alfa Romeo Brennero will land in showrooms in June 2024. Our crystal ball tells us that it won't be sold in the United States due in part to its small size; Jeep doesn't sell the Avenger here, after all. American drivers who want to put an electric Alfa Romeo crossover in their driveway will need to wait until the rumored second-generation Stelvio makes its debut at some point in 2026.

Fiat reconsidering Mazda-based Alfa Romeo roadster? [w/poll]

Alfa giveth and Alfa taketh away. With apologies to Job (he has gone through a lot, after all), that's how things are looking at the Italian automaker - whether it's the promise of new products or its impending return to the North American market. But it's especially true when it comes to new roadsters.
While Alfa Romeo is expected to unveil the 4C Spider at the Geneva Motor Show this week, reports are now suggesting that its other roadster project is being called into question. That project is a joint venture between Fiat and Mazda, which was set to produce a version of its next MX-5 Miata as an Alfa Romeo, and was even changing the design to accommodate Alfa's requirements.
Now it appears, however, that the whole project in doubt. The problem seems to stem from Sergio Marchionne's pronouncements that, as long as he's in charge, there won't be an Alfa Romeo built outside of Italy.

CAR adds details to Alfa Romeo's five-year plan

Much of this month's issue of CAR Magazine is devoted to Alfa Romeo and what we can expect from it in the next five years. Of course, they unfortunately went to print before FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne died (and it took a while for it to land in my mail box), so certain elements are bound to change in light of new leadership. Nevertheless, there are plenty of interesting tidbits to chew on. First, there are a few more details regarding the Alfa Romeo 8C super car, which was confirmed during FCA's recent five-year plan announcement. Unlike the last front-engined, rear-drive 8C, the new one would be mid-engined with the rear wheels powered by a version of the Quadrofoglio turbo V6 brought up to the 600-horsepower range, and some amount of electrification added to the front axle. CAR indicates a total output of around 800 hp and 660 pound-feet of torque. A carbon fiber monococque would help keep the weight down, and to keep cost down, reporter Georg Kacher posits its production will be farmed out to a third party like Dallara. Both pricing and performance will be interesting with the 8C: how much does FCA want Alfa Romeo to compete with Ferrari? Without Marchionne leading both, perhaps it won't matter. View 19 Photos Then again, how much it wants Alfa to compete with Maserati might, as the future Giulia-based GTV coupe could do just that. Apparently, the coupe and convertible range is intended to compete with the entire breadth of the German two-door catalogue, from 4 Series and M4, to C- and E-Class Coupes. Presumably it'll therefore be more than just a Giulia coupe. Regular, high-performance and plug-in hybrid versions are mentioned. Finally, as was part of the previously announced five-year plan, there will be SUVs introduced on either side of the Stelvio. Apparently, it was originally thought that the smaller of the two would be produced on the cheaper Renegade/500X platform, but that has been nixed in favor of the Giulia's "Giorgio" platform to maintain a higher degree of engineering sophistication. If so, good call. The bigger of the two new Alfa SUVs would also be on the platform, and since it's been rumored that the next Jeep Grand Cherokee will be as well, it'll be interesting to see how similar those two mid-size SUVs will potentially be. There are many more Alfa insights from CAR, but as it's restricted to print and not on their website, we can only urge you to swing by your local magazine rack and pick up the latest issue. They do good stuff.