ALFA Romeo’s attempt to turn the brand around is being knocked off course with its product plan disrupted by shifting regulation and weaker-than-expected demand for EVs.
The Stellantis-owned manufacturer has two upcoming models in the pipeline – a new-generation Stelvio SUV and the replacement for the Giulia saloon.
But plans for both have been hit pretty hard in recent months, with the Stelvio, originally due in 2025, now delayed by roughly two years with Alfa forced to redesign it substantially.
Speaking to Auto Express, Alfa’s CEO Santo Ficili said: “We are changing our path because we were imagining Alfa Romeo’s future was electric-only, to respect the rules coming from Brussels.”
That’s the core issue, as Alfa’s strategy had been built on the assumption of an electric-only future in order to align with EU direction.
However, the market has not moved towards EVs as quickly as forecast – with the US pulling back back on EV incentives and the EU softening aspects of the push towards an all-electric new-car market by 2035.
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Alfa now intends to offer a broader mix of motors rather than only battery-electric vehicles, with Ficili describing this as requiring a fundamental rethink.
He said: “We need to change everything.
“We need to go from only-BEV to all the other powertrains. You can imagine what it means we need to change: to reinvent platforms, electronic architectures, connectivity of the car, not only for Alfa Romeo but all the [Stellantis] brands.”
In Europe, at least, the route for Alfa’s bigger models now will likely be a combination of pure electric and plug-in hybrid powertrains.
But even this has been complicated by broader Stellantis decisions, with some US brands moving away from plug-in hybrids towards range-extender hybrids – which may not suit Alfa Romeo’s sporting image.
In the meantime, with the new Stelvio and Giulia replacements delayed, Alfa will keep the current versions in production for longer – despite them being roughly a decade old.
Accidentally, this means the brand will be continuing with the high-performance Quadrifoglio variants – now using a 513bhp twin-turbo V6 to meet the latest regulations.
By contrast, the 276bhp 2.0-litre petrol is being dropped in Europe, while diesel continues in some markets.
Alfa had previously intended to axe the Giulia and Stelvio sooner, but they have now decided to extend them until the end of 2027 – after investing to keep them compliant.
It’s not all doom and gloom for the stylish marque though, as Alfa has enjoyed plenty of recent success with its affordable SUVs, the Junior and Tonale.
Indeed, Ficili claims the Junior has exceeded expectations, with 60,000 orders since its launch in spring 2025.
He added: “And I’m quite satisfied [with Tonale] numbers: 100,000 units sold since [2022].
“I’m super positive about the commercial result we delivered in 2025, globally we were up 19%, with Europe 29%.
“But we are suffering a bit in North America because of tariffs.”