Alfa Romeo is working on a new fully electric model larger than than the Giulia and Stelvio for the US market, CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has revealed.
Speaking with Automotive News on the sidelines of the launch of the Tonale compact crossover in Japan, Imparato said Alfa Romeo needs such a model to be successful in the US, adding that it will arrive around 2027.
"We will have to be in the E-segment in North America. We are working on that,” the Alfa Romeo CEO said without providing details. He noted that the brand's US lineup tops out with a D-segment entry in the Giulia sedan.
But in order to expand sales in North America, Alfa Romeo needs something bigger and all-electric, Imparato said. The executive would not reveal the body style of the EV but noted it does not need to be a crossover.
He said the shift to EVs places a premium on aerodynamics, which is why automakers are starting to prefer sedans or more creative twists on traditional body styles. Imparato added that the body shape and design of the vehicle will be decided in the coming year.
Gallery: 2024 Alfa Romeo Tonale in US Specification
Interestingly, Imparato said in April 2022 that Alfa Romeo's next flagship would arrive by 2027 as a full-electric crossover larger than the Stelvio; he described it as a BMW X5 competitor at the time. The fact Imparato now says the upcoming EV does not have to be a crossover seems to indicate a change of plans.
Back to Imparato's latest comments, he also outlined technical specifications for the brand's future lineup of battery-electric vehicles, noting that Alfa Romeo will make sportiness the hallmark of its coming EVs.
"I need to transfer the concept of performance. We will be a high-performance EV," Imparato said. He said Alfa Romeo EVs will offer high-speed 800-volt charging, with anticipated recharging times of 18 minutes tops.
Maximum power will range between 350 and 800 horsepower, except for the Quadrifoglio performance versions which will offer around 1,000 horsepower. These numbers suggest the Quadrifoglio variant could share the performance EV platform with Dodge's upcoming electric muscle car.
Alfa Romeo's first battery-electric model will arrive in 2024 and will also be available as a hybrid. The brand's first dedicated EV will follow in 2025, and by 2027 when the E-segment model is expected to debut, Alfa Romeo will only sell fully electric cars – including in the US.
Imparato said the new E-segment EV will help Alfa Romeo achieve its goal of generating 40 percent of the brand's global sales from outside Europe by 2030, compared with just 18 percent in 2021.
