C-segment hatch will come alongside closely related Tonale replacement; next-gen Giulia and Stelvio pushed back
Alfa Romeo will launch a new family hatchback to rival the Volkswagen Golf in the next few years – its first since the Giulietta was axed in 2020.
The new C-segment car will be based on parent company Stellantis’s new STLA One architecture – which it will share with the same-sized, next-generation Peugeot 308 and Vauxhall Astra.
The platform, previously known as STLA Medium, is a ‘multi-energy’ structure that can accommodate both electric and combustion-engined drivetrains, and Alfa Romeo said it will offer both to broaden market appeal.
Confirmation of the new hatchback comes following the Stellantis investor day presentation last week, at which it outlined an ambitious plan to launch 110 new models globally, across all its brands and with a mix of powertrains, by 2030.
During the presentation, Stellantis’s European boss, Emanuele Cappellano, confirmed that Alfa Romeo was developing a new mid-sized SUV to replace today’s Tonale, along with an exclusive new sports car from its Bottega Fuoriserie bespoke division.
A brief teaser of an unidentified model could be the first look at the new Alfa Romeo hatchback, which the Italian brand said will “build on icons such as the 147 and Giulietta”.
The Tonale successor and the hatchback are expected to share a basic footprint and much of their technology and drivetrain hardware – mirroring the relationship between the hatches and SUVs that Alfa’s sibling brands sell.
The electric derivatives will be equipped with 800V hardware for rapid-charging capabilities, while the ICE versions will likely use the same array of mild- and plug-in hybrid systems available elsewhere in Stellantis’s arsenal.
All could be offered with the STLA platform’s steer-by-wire capability, as previewed recently by the radical Peugeot Polygon concept.
Alfa Romeo hasn’t yet given a timeframe for the new models, but the Tonale – which unusually for a Stellantis model uses its own platform and drivetrains – will be up for replacement in 2029.
More precise details on the brand’s mid-term strategy haven’t been given, but it has today (26 May) issued a statement to clarify its plans following the Stellantis presentation: “Looking ahead, Alfa Romeo will leverage Stellantis’s global scale while differentiating its offering to continue developing authentic Alfa Romeos, further strengthening its distinctive positioning as a unique and iconic brand.”
The new hatchback, SUV and sports car will be sold alongside the little Junior crossover – itself due a refresh soon – with the current Giulia and Stelvio scheduled to end production next year.
Alfa Romeo had previously been almost ready to unwrap an electric replacement for the Stelvio but put the project on ice last year in response to wavering uptake for premium and sporting EVs. A long-mooted electric Giulia was expected to be close behind using the same mechanicals.
Now the company appears to have gone back to the drawing board entirely on replacements for its two premium flagship models, saying only that it’s “studying solutions to continue operating in the D-segment with new interpretations of the current line-up made up of Giulia and Stelvio”.
It said it aims to remain “true to its performance-driven DNA while adapting to market evolution” and that any Giulia and Stelvio successors would “leverage flexible platforms” – no doubt the modular STLA architecture that can span from the B- to the D-segment.
“Further details will be communicated at a later stage,” it said about potential larger models.
