Alfa Romeo eyes electric Quadrifoglio
ALFA ROMEO CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato has added a performance twist to the company’s battery electric vehicle plans saying that Quadrifoglio-badged sport models will likely gain electric power.
The Italian company has previously committed to the production of a bevy of new vehicles between now and 2025, Imparato telling UK publication Autocar that an electric Quadrifolgio version will come only if the available technology can live up to the reputation of Alfa’s four-leaf clover branded cars.
Autocar said previously that an all-electric GTV could become the flagship of the Alfa Romeo range, alongside QV versions of all-new Guilia, MiTo, and Stelvio models.
“For all our models launched, I will always study the possibility to make a performance version of the car that will be fully consistent with the product portfolio message we send,” Mr Imparato said.
“If I consider that I am not able to offer the right level of performance steps of Quadrifoglio, I will not do a Quadrifoglio version.”
Alfa Romeo, which is now part of the Stellantis group, has committed to an electric-only future beyond 2027. That product plan, developed by Imparato, includes one new vehicle each year between now and 2025, as well as the possibility of a new sports car range which revives nameplates including the Spider Duetto and legendary GTV.
“I have the car; I’ve shown it to dealers. But I would not dare to put that on the table to Carlos Tavares until I am completely secure in terms of market share,” he added.
Mr Imparato concedes that Alfa Romeo must grow its market share before low-volume sports models can be considered, the upcoming Tonale and Brennero SUV models tasked with that role from 2023 and 2024 respectively.
If successful, Mr Imparato says the plan beyond 2025 will then be detailed and will likely include models that focus heavily on autonomous driving, while also meeting the brand’s performance and premium parameters.
Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares said previously that each of the group’s 14 brands will be afforded the opportunity to grow under the leadership of their respective CEOs, setting a 10-year funding window for the success of individual marques.
“We will give a chance to each of our brands, under the leadership of a strong CEO, to define their vision, build a road map, and make sure they can use the valuable assets of Stellantis to make their business case fly,” Mr Tavares said.
“Each brand has a time window of 10 years and funding for 10 years to do a core model strategy.”
Interest in Alfa Romeo’s performance-oriented models remains strong with the recent limited-production Giulia GTA and GTAm sold out upon release. Released in March this year, just 500 examples of the pair were produced, the 18 examples distributed to Australian dealerships sold before they hit forecourt.
The Guilia Grand Turismo Alleggerita and Grand Turismo Alleggerita Modificata were produced as a nod to the 1965 original and featured an enhanced version of the Guilia QV’s 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6. Peak power increased from 375 to 403kW with torque unchanged at 600Nm. The duo was released to commemorate the 110th anniversary of Alfa Romeo’s formation.
