Alfa Romeo is ready to keep the combustion engine alive if that's what customers want. The brand had otherwise promised to only build electric cars.
In August 2021, Stellantis, who owns Alfa Romeo, announced that the brand would only sell electric cars in Europe, North America and China by 2027.
Now, in October 2024, there are many indications that that plan will not materialize. During the Paris Motor Show, outgoing Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato more than hinted that petrol and diesel engines may remain part of the brand's future for longer than originally planned.
Imparato explained to Auto Express that incoming Alfa Romeo director Santo Ficili "has the flexibility" to implement a more flexible approach to powertrains in the next editions of the Stelvio and Giulia.
If the electric versions of these models do not achieve sufficient demand, they may be equipped with internal combustion engines. Something that can be done because of the STLA Large platform, which is already used for the new Dodge Charger.
The new Stelvio and Giulia will move from the previous Giorgio platform, which has been the basis for these two Alfa models as well as three Maserati models: Grecale, GranTurismo and GranCabrio.
READ ALSO: Production of Italy's most popular car comes to a complete standstill
The platform, which has also been used for the Jeep Grand Cherokee, will be replaced by the STLA Large. Although this platform is designed with a "BEV-native" architecture, i.e. something that puts electric cars in the forefront, the technology also has the capacity to accommodate gasoline engines.
In addition to Alfa Romeo and Dodge, Chrysler and Maserati will also introduce new cars based on this platform.
The gasoline-powered Dodge Charger will have a 3.0-liter, twin-turbocharged inline-six engine with 420 and 550 horsepower between the front wheels, respectively.
Although the car has four-wheel drive, in a special chore program it can send all the power to the rear wheels. Production of this version is expected to start in the first quarter of 2025.
The next-generation Stelvio is expected to launch next year, and the new Giulia is slated for 2026. A larger SUV is also confirmed for 2027 as a flagship model primarily aimed at the North American market.
This model will also be based on the STLA Large platform, which enables the use of internal combustion engines.
If Alfa Romeo maintains petrol engines, the brand will be just the latest in a long line of automakers that have recently been in a row to drop the cap on only building electric cars.
At the same time, there is pressure on the EU to postpone the ban on the sale of new petrol cars from 2035. BMW believes, among other things, that the ban comes 'much too soon' and that it will only make Europe even more dependent on China.
Read more exciting news from and about the world of cars right here!
