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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.

You probably won't see FCA's famous Easter eggs on an Alfa Romeo

They started in Jeeps, with images of seven-slot grilles showing up on windshield edges, the text "SINCE 1941" appearing in the clear plastic of headlight units, and a relief map of Moab engraved into a rubber cubby liner. Then a Chrysler got a map of Detroit and the outline of Laguna Seca materialized near the Viper's window switch. We've come to call them Easter eggs, but Klaus Busse points out that they were never really meant to be secrets, just ways to dress up what he calls "dead plastic." He's nevertheless cool with the phrase being applied and likes the enthusiastic response these design details get. Busse is intimately familiar with many of them, having signed off on many of them in his time as head interior designer for FCA's US operations. He recently moved to Europe to lead Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Fiat design there, so when I caught up with him next to the new Stelvio crossover at the Alfa stand in LA, I had to ask: Are we going to see any of those neat design details in Alfas or Maseratis anytime soon? The short answer is no. But he didn't say it's out of the question. Busse said if, for example, a designer wanted to put an Italian phrase somewhere on a car that was in keeping with the brand, he would allow it. Although he didn't come out and say it, it seems like he might feel this type of fun design element isn't necessarily appropriate for a higher-end brand like Alfa. And I get that. But I'm still going to check all the compartments of that new Alfa crossover for a map of the Stelvio Pass. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio: LA 2016 View 11 Photos Design/Style LA Auto Show Alfa Romeo Jeep 2016 LA Auto Show easter egg

These are the cars being discontinued for 2024 and beyond

While we get new and updated car models every year, its inevitable that we'll need to say goodbye to some nameplates as well. This time around, it feels like we have confirmation or reports of an unusually large number of vehicles being discontinued in 2024 and the coming years.  We shouldn't be surprised. A large number of automakers are approaching their various target dates for electrification of their fleets. As such, some beloved internal combustion cars are going away, sometimes with appropriate fanfare like special editions. Others are slinking away quietly, killed by slowing sales and changing consumer trends. Of course, the end of production doesn't necessarily mean permanent death. Some of these models could be resurrected in later years ... and probably as an EV. With that in mind, here are the vehicles that are being discontinued in 2024 and beyond.   Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio Alfa Romeo ended the production of its combustion-only Quadrifoglio models in April 2024 as the Italian automaker moves toward an electrified future. This isn't the end of the Quadrifoglio entirely, though, with Larry Dominique, Alfa Romeo senior vice president and head of North America, writing, "I look forward to presenting the next chapter in the four-leaf clover’s journey."   Chevrolet Camaro GM is ending production of the Chevy Camaro after 2024, but is sending it off in style with a CollectorÂ’s Edition. WouldnÂ’t it be cool, though, if Chevy brought it back as an EV?   Chevrolet Malibu Rumors of its demise have been around for a while, but now itÂ’s official. GM will end production of the Chevy Malibu in November of 2024. The assembly line in Kansas will be retooled to build the replacement for the Chevy Bolt.   Dodge Durango The three-row Durango is slated to be replaced by the Stealth nameplate after 2024. The Durango name could make a comeback later, according to rumors, on a body-on frame SUV based on the Jeep WagoneerÂ’s platform.   Ford Edge This is the last year for the Edge in the U.S., with the final unit rolling off the assembly line in April. On sale since 2007, the Edge topped 100,000 sales in all but three full years of production.   Ford Escape Newly refreshed for the 2023 model year, FordÂ’s popular Escape compact SUV is reportedly taking its leave in 2025 in order to usher in — you guessed it — an EV in its place.