Alfa Romeo to Add Both Larger and Smaller SUVS
Alfa Romeo seems keen on the numeral 2; the company says that by 2022 it will add two new SUVs to its lineup. Currently, the brand has just a single crossover: the Stelvio. Given the growth in crossovers’ popularity, you don’t need us to explain why covering only the compact-luxury portion of the segment is a huge liability for the automaker.
Enter the forthcoming subcompact crossover and full-size, three-row SUV that Alfa Romeo plans to introduce in the next four years. Alfa announced its plans at Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ future-looking capital-markets day in Italy this week.
The smaller of the two SUVs will give the company a competitor for Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1, and Mercedes-Benz’s GLA-class. The larger one will thrust Alfa into territory currently occupied by the Audi Q7, BMW X5, and Mercedes-Benz GLE-class. Today’s Stelvio, by the way, chases the Mercedes GLC-class, BMW X3, and Audi Q5.
Details regarding both new SUVs are forthcoming, but watch for the full-size model to sit on a rear-wheel-drive-based architecture spun off from the platform shared by the Giulia and Stelvio. A hybrid powertrain is a given. We suspect the smaller crossover could use a more space-efficient front-drive layout, derived from a platform shared with the upcoming Giulietta compact car.
Given Alfa Romeo’s propensity to miss ambitious new-car-introduction targets in the past-not to mention its delay-heavy re-entry to the U.S. market-figure on these SUVs, as well as the new GTV and 8C sports cars, to arrive closer to the 2022 end of the next four years.
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