Alfa Romeo Milano confirmed as new baby SUV launching in 2024
The Milano name has been confirmed for Alfa Romeo’s first compact crossover, which is set to debut in April 2024.
Alfa Romeo refers to the newcomer as a “Sport Urban Vehicle” and it’s set to share its basic architecture with the Peugeot 2008 and Jeep Avenger, and like its cousins the Italian pavement hopper will also be available in a fully electric variant.
But there’s an interesting back story behind the name Milano. Alfa Romeo claims to be honouring its city of origin, Milan, but the last time the carmaker tried to name a vehicle after this district, politics forced a name change at the last minute.
The modern Alfa Romeo Giuilietta hatchback, which replaced the 147 in 2010, was meant to carry the Milano name. According to Automotive News Europe, around the time of its launch the carmaker was busy moving its last remaining Milan-based employees to Turin, where it is now based, and needless to say there was some resentment. Alfa had already closed its Milan factory in 2000.
But with all of that being a distant memory, Alfa Romeo is now confident enough to give the Milano badge to its new compact crossover. Before this announcement it was widely believed that it would be called Brennero.
Not much information on the newcomer has been released as yet, but we do know that buyers will get to choose between fully electric and mild hybrid options, likely mirroring those available in the Jeep Avenger.
The latter is offered with a 115kW EV motor as well as a 1.2-litre Miller Cycle turbopetrol mild hybrid set-up that’s good for 74kW.
The Milano EV variant will be the brand’s first fully electric offering, but by no means the last. Alfa Romeo plans to launch its first exclusively electric model range in 2025, and the carmaker aims to have a fully electric line-up in place by 2027.
A fully electric replacement for the Giulia sedan has been strongly rumoured, and there also seems to be a desire within Alfa Romeo to revive some iconic badges like GTV and Spider somewhere down the line.
With the Milano, however, Alfa will be returning to the B-segment, which it vacated when the bug-eyed Mito was discontinued in 2019.
“With the arrival of Milano in 2024, Alfa Romeo completes a line-up capable of meeting the desires of all our enthusiasts and much more,” said Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato.
“Milano is intended as a symbolic ‘welcome back’ to all our Alfisti fans. As owners of the Giulietta and Mito, they have been waiting to confirm their love for Alfa Romeo. It also serves as a ‘welcome’ to anyone looking for a unique sporting experience in this segment and the distinctive beauty of Italian design.”
The CEO also described the newcomer as the first milestone in its transition process to electric and said it, along with the Tonale, would play an important role in strengthening the brand’s global footprint.
IOL Motoring