BMW recently made its mark by unveiling the new i3, a 4.76-meter electric sedan with particularly ambitious specifications. With its two electric motors, it delivers a combined output of 345 kW, or around 469 hp, and 645 Nm of torque.
But it's the range that really impresses: up to 900 km on the WLTP cycle, thanks to a 108 kWh battery, which, according to several sources, weighs in at around 600 kg.
A true technological tour de force... but one that, in reality, could have been far surpassed by Alfa Romeo.
Alfa Romeo dreamed much bigger
A look back. When Stellantis was created, Alfa Romeo promised a 100 % electric range by 2027. At the time, ambitions were far-fetched, especially for the future electric Giulia and Stelvio.
Jean-Philippe Imparato, the brand's CEO at the time, spoke of Quadrifoglio versions capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in less than 2 seconds. A performance worthy of hypercars, made possible by power ratings in excess of 1,000 hp.
As the months went by, more and more information became available. The brand's future sedans and SUVs were to be based on the STLA Large LP3 platform, an 800V architecture dedicated to 100 % electric models. As for the battery, Alfa Romeo envisaged standard versions of around 85 kWh, and long-range variants of up to 118 kWh.
An electric Giulia with over 800 hp
Now, thanks to an internal document, the project has taken on an even more concrete dimension. The future Stelvio, codenamed A5U, was to feature a 250 kW electric motor at the front and another 350 kW at the rear. Altogether, this represents 600 kW, or around 815 hp.
It's not hard to imagine an electric Giulia with the same technical basis, and therefore a similar level of performance. On paper, this would put the Italian sedan well ahead of the BMW i3, with almost double the power.
Timing that could have been perfect
The most striking aspect of this story is the timing. BMW first presented its iX3, a potential equivalent to the Stelvio, then its i3, a direct competitor to the Giulia. At the same time, Alfa Romeo was working on models capable of competing head-on with, or even outclassing, these new electric BMWs. The two brands could have found themselves face to face on the market at virtually the same time.
Ambitions abandoned along the way
But all that is now a thing of the past. Plans for an electric Stelvio and Giulia 100 % have been abandoned altogether. In the end, Alfa Romeo decided to return to a more flexible base, the Giorgio Evo platform, multi-energy, already used at Maserati.
This change of strategy reflects a simple observation: the market is not ready, particularly in the United States, where Alfa Romeo was counting heavily on its sales. There, electric cars have not met with the success we had hoped for.
History repeating itself?
It's hard not to see this episode as a familiar scenario. For almost two decades, Alfa Romeo has been making ambitious announcements, spectacular promises... and projects that never come to fruition.
This electric Giulia with over 800 hp could have marked a turning point. In the end, it remained an industrial concept. A new date now remains: May 21, 2026. There, the new CEO of Stellantis will have to shape the brand's future, once again with great promises.
But at Alfa Romeo, more than ever, these promises are only binding on those who believe them.
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Quindi la variante base sarebbe a trazione anteriore con motore Peugeot 1.6 più una versione elettrica a trazione anteriore come base elettrica. Il tutto basato sulla piattaforma estesa della Peugeot 3008 a trazione anteriore (denominata STLS Medium), presumo.
Non si sa perché Filosa abbia cancellato il progetto.
La Giulia e la Stelvio non montano la piattaforma STLA Medium (come la nuova DS N7 o la Jeep Compass), bensì la STLA Large. Solo negli Stati Uniti ci sono auto che montano la piattaforma STLA Large: la Dodge Charger e la Jeep Wagoneer S.
Jeep Cherokee 2025 is made on STLA Large and has Peugeot 1.6 transversely mounted engine. There is no difference between STLA Large and STLS Medium. It is the same platform.
You're right-the 1.6L engine is available on the STLA Medium and certain versions of the STLA Large (this is documented on Italpassion). But the two platforms are quite different. STLA Medium is a European platform, an evolution of EMP2 (Peugeot), while STLA Large is a new platform designed in the US. In any case, they could have put the 1.6L engine in the Stelvio or Giulia, but those two models weren't built on the right STLA Large platform (LP3, as a reminder).