Italian brand Alfa Romeo has validated the next generations of its middle class Julia limousine and Stelvio Pass In 2028, an SUV will finally come onto the market – with a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) drive.
And according to one Autocar Reports suggest that at least the Giulia will be available in both high-performance internal combustion engine (ICE) Quadrifoglio and electric vehicle (EV) forms.
Concrete details about what will power the new models – the first to emerge from Alfa Romeo since becoming part of the Stellantis Group, founded in 2021 – have yet to be confirmed, as the models move to the automaker’s new STLA Large platform.
The current Type 952 Giulia sedan and Type 949 Stelvio share the same Giorgio platform and have been built at the Cassino plant in Italy since their initial launch in 2015 and 2016 respectively.
With Daily Sparkz you can save thousands on a new car. Click Here to get a great deal.
Alfa Romeo confirmed in October 2025 that both models will continue to be manufactured until 2027, as the company looks to equip second-generation successor models with internal combustion engines originally designed only for electric propulsion, as part of the Italian brand’s now-abandoned plan to sell only electric vehicles from 2027.
Now Alfa Romeo CEO Santo Ficili told Autocar: “We have to find a way to satisfy the needs of our customers. What does that mean? It means BEV (battery electric vehicle) and all other types of endothermic drives (powertrains), so ICE, PHEV, BEV. So that’s the direction.”
Both four-cylinder petrol mild hybrid (MHEV) and PHEV powertrains are offered, with the latest STLA platform bringing an 800V electric architecture and already integrating a PHEV system into the Vauxhall Grandland, which is not sold in Australia.
Launched in the UK in April this year, it combines a 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, a rear electric motor and a 21kWh battery for a combined power of 166kW and 350Nm of torque, as well as a claimed range of 82km (WLTP).
The 800V architecture will provide electrified Alfa Romeos with fast DC fast charging capability.
The move to the STLA platform and hybrid powertrains for the new Giulia and Stelvio has meant that the current sedan and SUV – the only models in the current Alfa Romeo range apart from the light junior SUV and the small Tonale SUV – will have to remain on sale for much longer than originally planned.
The existing Giulia, a competitor to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, was launched in Australian showrooms in November 2016, followed by the Stelvio – Alfa Romeo’s first SUV – twelve months later.
The Giorgio platform was originally developed by Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and primarily forms the basis for the Giulia and Stelvio, but was originally planned for additional applications. It has since been used for the Maserati Grecale and then developed into the “Giorgio Sport” platform for the Maserati GranTurismo and GranCabrio.
Stellantis also has several petrol-electric PHEV powertrains, including the 1.3-litre unit that produces 208kW/470Nm in the Tonale and the 2.0-litre twin-motor system producing 280kW/637Nm in the Jeep Grand Cherokee 4xe, which has now been phased out in Australia.
Autocar reports that Alfa Romeo will offer both electric and combustion-powered versions of the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which will compete with the next-generation BMW M3 sedan, which will also be available in electric and combustion engine versions from 2027.
The STLA Large platform forms the basis for the Dodge Charger Daytona Scat Pack EV, which is claimed to achieve a 0-100 km/h acceleration time of 3.3 seconds thanks to its 500 kW all-wheel drive electric powertrain.
The new architecture is expected to make both Alfa Romeo models larger. The current Giulia is 4643mm long overall, while the existing Stelvio is 44mm longer.
The exterior design of both models will reportedly follow the design of the junior compact SUV launched here in 2025 with the choice of mild-hybrid petrol or battery-electric powertrain.
Autocar also notes that Alfa Romeo’s preference for offset front license plate positions will soon end, as new European Union (EU) regulations require new models to move their front license plates below the grille instead.
The new 2028 Giulia and Stelvio are expected to be the first Alfa Romeos to use the new “STLA Brain” electrical system, which offers faster processing speeds, artificial intelligence (AI) integration and active chassis control.
Stellantis, which lost 22.3 billion euros (36.5 billion Australian dollars) in 2025, recently named four core brands as the focus of its future investments – and Alfa Romeo was not one of them.
The Netherlands-based automaker said it would instead focus on Peugeot, Jeep, Ram and Fiat to strengthen its global business.
This includes a plan announced at the recent Auto China 2026 in Beijing to manufacture Peugeot vehicles in China for export markets, possibly including Australia.
MORE: Explore the Alfa Romeo showroom
