Yahoo Autos Alfa Romeo Milano Is the Brand's First EV and Likely Stuck Overseas
Alfa Romeo has announced its first electric vehicle will debut in April 2024 as the Milano subcompact SUV.
The Milano is likely based on the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e, and it will offer gas-powered versions after the EV arrives.
Alfa Romeo could bring the Milano to the U.S. if there is enough interest, where it would challenge the $36,245 Volvo EX30.
Alfa Romeo is in a transitory period. The Giulia and Stelvio are aging into obscurity, each struggling to reach 5000 sales for 2023. The Tonale, meanwhile, arrived as the brand's first plug-in hybrid this year, a stepping stone towards a fully electric lineup. Alfa plans to only launch EVs starting in 2025 and exclusively sell electric cars starting in 2027. Now, the company has announced its first EV will be a subcompact SUV called the Milano that will debut next year.
Named for the city where Alfa Romeo was founded in 1910, the Milano will be unveiled in Milan, Italy, in April 2024—ahead of deliveries in September. The initial version will be exclusively powered by electrons, but a gas-powered variant, presumably with a 48-volt hybrid system, will hit the streets by November. This will make it the last new Alfa Romeo to offer an internal-combustion engine.
Europe is the priority for the Milano, with Automotive News Europe reporting that a decision on whether to bring the small ute stateside has yet to be made. Alfa Romeo's CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato is quoted as saying that the Milano is ready for sales outside of Europe if there is enough demand, and that he expects some states to soon have enough interest for “urban small electric SUVs.” The Milano is likely to be even smaller than the already compact Tonale.
The Milano will be built in Tychy, Poland, where parent company Stellantis also builds the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e. Both models are offered with electric and gas-fed variants, so the same powertrains will likely find their way into the Alfa Romeo. The electric versions use a 54.0-kWh battery with a 250-mile range rating baed on Europe's optimistic WLTP test cycle.
The Milano will likely be similar in size to the Jeep and Fiat, which measure between 160 and 164 inches long with a roughly 100-inch wheelbase. There aren't many vehicles in that segment in the United States, let alone EVs. The only electric competition would be the Chevy Bolt, which is being replaced by a new version that will arrive for 2025, and the upcoming Volvo EX30. The latter is expected to go on sale next year with a starting price of $36,245. Look for more details on the Milano next spring.
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