Alfa Romeo: platform and engine... new and unexpected rumours about the next models

For several years, the future ofAlfa Romeo is written in the conditional tense. Between ambitious announcements, strategic U-turns and successive postponements, the Italian brand is now walking a tightrope, forced to adapt to a market reality that is very different from the one it imagined three or four years ago. And the latest information circulating on future models may well reshuffle the cards more profoundly than expected.

From a future 100 % electric vehicle to an overhauled strategy

As a reminder, Alfa Romeo had originally planned a radical transformation: become a 100 % electric brand by 2027. In this scenario, the entire range was to switch to BEV, with a Junior, a new Tonale and the future Giulia and Stelvio based on technologies shared by the Stellantis group. But the sudden slowdown in electrification, combined with more cautious demand than expected, changed all that. The strategy was stopped dead in its tracks, then completely reassessed. Only Junior finally went through with the process, with a hybrid offering and 100 electric %. The current Tonale extends its career with a slight restyling, while the new Giulia and Stelvio have simply been postponed. From that point on, the question became: what does the future hold for the Alfa Romeo range?

STLA Medium, STLA Large... a more complex equation

For a long time, the roadmap seemed relatively clear. The future Tonale (A4U), then conceived as a 100 % electric model, was to be based on the STLA Medium platform, while the new Giulia and Stelvio were expected to be based on STLA Large. But the introduction of hybrid powertrains has profoundly complicated the equation. While STLA Medium is well conceived as a multi-energy platform, the situation is more delicate for STLA Large. The latter exists in several versions (LP1, LP2, LP3 and LP4)The LP3 version, on which the future Giulia and Stelvio were to be based, was not designed to accommodate hybridization. Seemingly a technical detail, but one with major industrial consequences.

The "new Tonale" renamed

Originally, the A4U project was much simpler in its logic. This model was to arrive in 2027 or 2028, after the launch of the new Giulia and Stelvio, with a clear mission: to replace the current Tonale at the end of its career. Conceived from the outset as a new-generation 100 % electric SUV, it was to be part of a gradual transition of the range, without immediately upsetting the model hierarchy.

But the timetable has changed. Alfa Romeo made a surprise presentation of a "surprise new model" internally, to be presented to the public as early as the end of 2026, hinting at the arrival of an unprecedented vehicle, sooner than expected. In reality, it was not a new project, but this future Tonale, whose presentation was brought forward by several months compared with the initial plan. The problem is that, in the meantime, the old Tonale has not left the range. Its retention in the catalog, extended by a slight restyling, now makes it impossible for two models bearing the same name to cohabit. The future Tonale will therefore logically have to change its name, even if its philosophy remains that of a direct successor to the current model.

What's more, this SUV no longer simply replaces the existing Tonale. With an estimated length of between 4.6 and 4.65 meters, it is now positioned between the current Tonale and the Stelvio. The future Stelvio is expected to be larger than the current model. As a result, this "new Tonale", renamed but thoroughly redesigned, virtually occupies the space left in the range by the old Stelvio.

Giorgio Evo: an unexpected return to basics

According to sources considered well-informed by the Autopareri website, a major change of direction is now under consideration. The future Giulia and Stelvio would no longer be based on STLA Large, but on the Giorgio Evo platform, currently used by Maserati models such as the Grecale, Granturismo and Grancabrio. A significant choice, which would enable Alfa Romeo to benefit (once again) from close synergies with Maserati: platform, electronic architecture, multimedia, engines and electrification solutions. The same sources also mention four- and six-cylinder hybrid (HEV) engines. A surprising piece of information, admittedly.

An assertive repositioning towards the top of the range

Faced with these rumors, we turned to our most reliable source on the subject. Her reading sheds a coherent light. According to him, since the new Tonale was validated as a 4.6 to 4.65-meter model, with a top-of-the-range proposition peaking at 400 hp in PHEV, Alfa Romeo management has reviewed the positioning of the future Stelvio. It would become a more niche, more technical model, and above all more in tune with a European sensibility.

The use of an improved Giorgio Evo platform makes perfect sense, whether for an evolution of the Grecale... or even for a future Levante. This more "exotic" positioning on the American market would make it possible, despite tariff tensions with the US administration, to target volumes comparable to those of 2017-2018. Another key point: the evolution of the Giorgio Evo towards 800 V BEV architectures would also offer a credible electric solution, even if this technology would remain secondary for Alfa Romeo over the next product cycle.

Powertrains: caution, but solid indicators

No official confirmation of the Tonale's powertrain has yet been received. The future Tonale (which will probably no longer be called Tonale) will be offered in both electric and hybrid versions, with a 400 hp PHEV, but it is not yet known whether this will be the 1.6L EP6 or the 2.0L GME. For the future Giulia and Stelvio, the very top-of-the-range positioning at least gives reason to hope for an electrified version of the 2.0L GME, although here again, no precise data have been validated.

A long-awaited product plan

All these questions should be answered in the coming months. CEO Antonio Filosa's industrial plan In the meantime, one thing is certain: Alfa Romeo seems to be moving towards a more limited, more exclusive and more technological range, even if it means taking technical paths we thought had been abandoned.