When it comes to Alfa Romeo futures, some moderation of expectations is needed. In the last 3-4 years, we have seen several plans for the brand's future being presented, and none of them were effectively fulfilled.
Of all the promises made, only Giulia and Stelvio reached a good port. More recently, several rumors pointed to a new SUV, above the Stelvio, as the next model to be launched by the Italian brand. It appears that will not be the case, according to Autocar.
The British publication, citing internal sources, states that the next Alfa Romeo to see the light of day will be a four-seat coupe based on the Giulia . A coupé and a successor to the historic Spider are one of the constants in all the plans we saw for the future of the brand, but everything pointed to 2020, or even a little later, to see these models.
When it comes to the coupé — and it will be a real coupé — apparently, we may get to know it even before 2018 ends, with sales scheduled for 2019.
Giulia Sprint?
As mentioned, the new coupé will be based on the Giulia, the four-door saloon, and should share the front section with it. The big differences will naturally arise from the A-pillar backwards. The side loses the tailgate and gains a larger front door for easier access to the rear seats, and the roofline will be distinct.Access to the trunk remains in doubt — will it be like the Giulia's, with a tailgate, or will it have a tailgate, integrating the rear window, as in hatchback bodies.
Rumors also point to Alfa Romeo regaining the historic Sprint appellation for the new bodywork. In doubt is whether the Giulia name remains on the model identification, or whether it will have a proper name. In that case, as happened with the Alfa Romeo GT, derived from the 147, wouldn't another appellation like GTV be better?
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650 hp(!) electrifying
Perhaps the juiciest bit of this rumor concerns its engines. According to Autocar, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Coupé will have two electron-assisted engines, which will adopt an energy recovery system (ERS) similar to what we can see in Formula 1 — the discipline that Alfa Romeo returned to this year, with the Sauber.
Everything points to it being a development of the HY-KERS system — used in the Ferrari LaFerrari — with a greater focus on performance than on economy. When coupled to the 2.9 twin-turbo V6, of Ferrari origin, used in the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, it will mean an expressive increase in equines, around 650 hp (+140 hp) , again, according to the rumors.
In the future, it will be the most powerful road Alfa Romeo ever and an excellent post-Giulia Quadrifoglio “next chapter” that has won both critics and customers alike.
ERS or semi-hybrid?
The 280 hp 2.0 of the Giulia Veloce is the other candidate for such a system, and it is estimated to debit 350 hp . However, this 350 hp variant of the 2.0 had been predicted in the past — and even confirmed by documents on the model for the North American market — but not with an ERS.
Instead, an electrical system of 48 V would be adopted, making it a semi-hybrid (mild-hybrid), using an electrically driven turbocharger — just wait for confirmation. The remaining range of engines will be shared with the Giulia.