ALFA SENIOR

What's next on the roller coaster that is Alfa? CEO Santo Ficili explains all

- PAUL HORELL

BY LAW, ALFA ARTICLES START WITH AN ITALIAN exclamation. Here goes: mamma mia, the petrol Quadrifoglio lives! Bravissimo! Etc. Until recently Alfa planned the next Giulia and Stelvio as all electric. Now, CEO Santo Ficili says that's changed. Tariff chaos and a slow in the EV transition mean that flexibility is a must. “There will be PHEV and HEV and BEV.”

He goes on, “My dream is to keep alive the Quadrifoglio. We can’t forget this. Quadrifoglio can be BEV, why not? But it can also be ICE.” Viva V6.

The electric Alfas will be first, with Stelvio at the end of this year and Giulia next - main versions first then Quadrifoglio. They can have up to 800V for fast charging, big batteries for long range, and rear or twin motors.

Ficili says they are having a last minute front end redesign, so they have enough cooling intakes for petrol engines. “The design must be in line with the other models that we want to launch.”

How will Alfa make cars that feel different from the rest of the sprawling Stellantis Group’s? “I think the Alfa Romeo brand is Italy, is red or