Alfa Romeo is set to reveal its first all-electric vehicle in April 2024.
We previously speculated this small SUV would be called the Brennero, based on a teaser that had GPS coordinates over the Brenner Pass, but the Italian carmaker has now confirmed it’s actually called the Milano.
This name has been chosen as a tribute to the city Alfa Romeo was founded in back in 1910. Alfa Romeo has used the name before, with North American-market versions of its 75 in the 1980s badged Milano.
We now officially have a name to match the face, as a range of images of the Alfa Romeo Milano leaked online earlier this year.
The Milano is set to ride on a version of the Stellantis platform underpinning the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600. Both of these models measure around 4.1 metres long and 1.8 metres wide.
It will be available with both all-electric and mild-hybrid options. It’s unclear if the car will be offered locally at this stage, nor which powertrain options.
The petrol-powered Avenger offers a 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder engine, offered with a 48V mild-hybrid system and a six-speed automatic transmission. A version without this system comes with a six-speed manual.
The electric Avenger features a 400V electric architecture and a 54kWh nickel manganese cobalt (NMC) lithium-ion battery located under the cabin.
Claimed range on the stricter WLTP cycle is 400km, while a newly developed electric motor producing 115kW of power and 260Nm of torque.
Jeep says a 100kW DC charger can take the Avenger’s battery from 20 to 80 per cent in 24 minutes.
The previously leaked imagery of the Milano revealed the design has a clear continuity with the larger Tonale and Stelvio, and features the brand’s distinctive V-shaped grille.
The LED lighting up front has a unique signature, while down back there are horizontal tail lights similar to the Tonale. A version of Alfa Romeo’s trademark telephone dial wheels also feature.
Despite sharing a platform with the Jeep Avenger and other compact-segment Stellantis vehicles, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato insists the Brennaro will still drive like an Alfa Romeo.
“You will see that it will be an Alfa Romeo,” he told Auto Express.
“We are spending time on designing that car with the same spirit. And the driveability of the car, the performance of that car, will be driven by the tuning that we do on the Tonale. We can have the driveability of an Alfa with this type of product; I have no doubt of that.”
Alfa Romeo plans to be an electric-only brand by 2027.
The company has said it will reveal its first vehicle available exclusively with an electric powertrain in 2025.
Given the potential volumes on offer, electric replacements for the Tonale and Stelvio are guaranteed. Alfa Romeo head of product planning Daniel Guzzafame has confirmed a sports sedan like the Giulia is a brand pillar, and will also feature in some form.
“You need a Giulia, you need a Stelvio, you need a Tonale,” he said. “Then you need something bigger.”
Mr Imparato’s remarks to Auto Express seemingly reaffirmed the desire to keep the Giulia around.
“The 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,” he said.
Rounding out the range of crossovers will be a large SUV to take on the Volvo EX90 and Mercedes-Benz EQE SUV in 2027, as confirmed by Mr Imparato to Dutch outlet AutoWeek earlier this year.
Mr Imparato has also expressed interest in reviving the GTV coupe, although global interest in coupes is waning.
