Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has suggested that the Giulia sedan could live on in electrified form in an interview with Auto Express.
Launched in 2015 to take on the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class and Audi A4 among others, the Giulia was the first Alfa sedan to be launched since the demise of the 159 in 2011. Powered predominantly by a twin-turbocharged V6 or ‘MultiAir’ turbo four-cylinder (alongside a range of diesel options), the rear-wheel drive Giulia was also the rejuvenation of Alfa’s rear-wheel drive performance heritage: the capabilities of the BMW M3/ Mercedes-AMG-bating Quadrifoglio for example were proven in September 2015 with a 7 minute 39 second run around the Nürburgring, a then-record for sedans; a time the Quadrifoglio bettered by seven seconds just one year later!
With Alfa Romeo’s focus now on electrification – with a goal of becoming fully electric by 2027 – Imparato has made it clear that the Giulia could well survive beyond its currently naturally aspirated form.
2022 Alfa Romeo Giulia
“Alfa Romeo will have a future for Giulia, and will do the job for SUVs too,” Alfa’s CEO explained in the Auto Express interview, “because we are Chinese and we are American, but that shape of the Giulia is fantastic. I don’t want to lose this.
“The car is absolutely gorgeous, so there is a future for this type of car, but it will be a future that will be electrified. It means probably 100 per cent full BEV [battery electric vehicle] for Alfa Romeo.”
Chances are the Giulia, which sits atop the now abandoned FCA Giorgio platform, will adopt the STLA Large architecture of parent company Stellantis. The latter’s current flotilla of batteries ranges from 101 kwH to 118 kwH, meaning an electric Giulia could theoretically go up to 800 kilometres on one charge. With three electric motor configurations also available through Stellantis, it’s not inconceivable that a dual-motor Giulia Quadrifoglio could be on the cards down the line, too.
Whether the Giulia will be among the brand’s first full EVs launched in 2024 and 2025 though remains to be seen, with focus instead on Alfa’s first-ever compact SUV, the Tonale. The latter is set for launch in 2022 ahead of a 2023 rollout.
“The first full EV will come in 2024 and we’ll see a big launch in 2025, 2026, and we’ll see Alfa Romeo as full BEV in 2027. This is validated and funded.”
