Alfa Romeo will not be using its much-vaunted Giorgio rear- and all-wheel drive platform for future models, but the architecture will soldier on for some time yet.
According to Automotive News Europe, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told Italian journalists at a round table the brand would base future models on Stellantis’ upcoming electrified large vehicle architecture.
Imparato noted “if you are not electrified, you are dead”, and stated all future Alfa Romeos would have pure electric or plug-in hybrid drivetrains.
More details about Alfa Romeo’s product roadmap will be revealed either later this year or early next as part of a wider Stellantis briefing on its short- to medium-term outlook.
This briefing should also give us a better idea of what the French-Italian-American combine is planning for its brands with hollowed-out ranges, like Lancia and Chrysler.
We already know, though, Alfa will broaden its lineup with two new crossovers.
The Alfa CEO confirmed the Jeep Compass-based Tonale small crossover has been delayed, with production now due to start in March 2022, around three months later than initially planned.
Reports suggest the model has been pushed back due Imparato’s demand for improved performance from the plug-in hybrid drivetrain.
The Tonale will be followed up by an even smaller crossover, which be built alongside its Jeep and Fiat cousins at the company’s plant in Poland from 2023.
Debuting 2015 with the Giulia sedan, the Giorgio architecture was touted as the lynchpin of the brand’s renaissance.
Initial plans announced by then-CEO Sergio Marchionne said it would serve as the basis for eight models to disrupt the German hegemony over the luxury car market, and grow sales from around 70,000 per year to 400,000 annually from 2018.
In the end Fiat Chrysler was only able to bring the Giulia and Stelvio to market, and its lofty sales goals were never reached.
Although Alfa will not base future cars on Giorgio, the architecture will continue in production for a while yet.
The platform will also be used for the Maserati Grecale crossover, due later this year, and is thought to underpin the latest Jeep Grand Cherokee.
MORE: Alfa Romeo Giulia news, reviews, videos and comparisons
MORE: Alfa Romeo Stelvio news, reviews, videos and comparisons
