Italians announce first electric car and return to the B segment. On the launch ramp, subcompact SUV manufactured on the same assembly line as the 600e and Avenger.
The electrification plan of the Stellantis consortium, very ambitious, also includes Alfa Romeo, an Italian brand that plans to only present electric cars from 2025, in order to be present in Europe without internal combustion engines in 2027. In the program, following the schedule announced by the manufacturer founded in 1910, launch of the first BEV in April. It is called Milano, a name that pays homage to the emblem’s hometown, it has the format of a Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), following the example of Stelvio (2016) and Tonale (2022), and competes in the B segment, a category abandoned by the Italians in 2018, with the end of the production of the MiTo. In September, the first units will be in the hands of customers.
The Milano is based on the Stellantis e-CMP2 platform, a technical architecture shared with all the consortium’s latest subcompacts, including the DS 3, Opel Corsa, Peugeot 208, and 2008, it is produced in Tychy, Poland, on the same assembly line as the Fiat 600 and Jeep Avenger. During the announcement of the competing SUV of Lexus LBX, smart #1, or Volvo EX30, no information about technical characteristics was provided, but it is easy to anticipate the essentials, especially regarding the electric system, most likely the same as found in the consortium’s latest subcompacts and compacts under the direction of Carlos Tavares, with a motor of 115 kW/156 hp and 260 Nm powered by a lithium-ion battery with 54.0 kWh of gross capacity (50.8 kWh useful). In the electric version, domestic/slow recharging up to 11 kW (alternating current) or fast recharging up to 100 kW (direct current). According to the homologation protocol (WLTP), maximum range of 409 km in the Fiat 600e with a length of 4.171 m and 400 km in the Jeep Avenger with a length of 4.084 m. Both cars compete in the B segment and share the 2.562 m wheelbase, as well as the battery storage under the floor, a positioning that frees up space in the passenger compartment and optimizes weight distribution, a characteristic that has the particularity of benefiting driving dynamics, also by combining with a lower center of gravity.
Following the same line of reasoning, two months after the introduction of the Electric Milano, introduction of a version with MHEV hybrid technology. With the complementary 48V network, a gasoline engine with 3 cylinders (1.2 Turbo with 101 hp and 205 Nm), an electric machine (21 kW/29 hp and 55 Nm) integrated in the module of the 6-speed automatic gearbox with dual clutch, and a lithium-ion battery with 0.9 kWh of capacity (0.43 kWh useful). This system allows the new SUV to move without exhaust gases, especially in urban environments, which significantly reduces fuel consumption.
Jean-Philippe Imparato, CEO of Alfa Romeo, also did not anticipate any production or sales volumes and admitted the possibility of selling the Milano outside of Europe, as there is demand. It is worth noting that the Italians also consider BMW’s Mini as a reference (and target!) and are working on the development of a new flagship car, scheduled for 2027 and presented as essential to gain more notoriety in North America.
The Milano has the most sought-after format in Europe (subcompact SUV). The category references are the Peugeot 2008, the Toyota Yaris Cross, and the VW T-Roc made in Portugal (the German brand manufactures it at Autoeuropa in Palmela). Among Alfa Romeo’s competitors are also the Audi Q2 and the DS 3. Sales in the segment are increasing, but the growth rate of electric vehicle demand is accelerating more slowly, due to the maintenance of the price barrier.
