Next-Gen Alfa Romeo Stelvio & Giulia Delayed

If you’ve been patiently waiting for the next-generation Alfa Romeo Stelvio or Giulia, you’ll need to wait a bit longer. Alfa Romeo has officially postponed the debut of both models as the brand pivots away from a fully electric strategy.

Santo Ficili, the Head of Alfa Romeo and Maserati, confirmed the news during a Q&A session on Tuesday. While the original plan was to launch the new Stelvio—expected to ride on Stellantis’ new STLA Large platform—as a battery electric vehicle (BEV) in 2025, that timeline is no longer realistic.

“The transition throughout electrification is not going with the speed we were imagining last period,” Ficili admitted. “So now we are changing, totally, our path following the specific requests of our customers.”

What does that mean exactly? Alfa Romeo will now offer the next Stelvio and Giulia not just as EVs, but also with traditional internal combustion engines, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), and mild hybrids (MHEVs). That’s a big change from the earlier all-electric promise, and it comes as global demand for EVs has cooled.

“We are working to evolve also [the internal combustion] engine powertrain, PHEV, and MHEV,” Ficili explained. “In this sense, we are reworking our plan. As soon as we will be ready, of course we will launch also the new Stelvio.”

Reuters previously reported that the next-generation Stelvio won’t hit the streets until at least September 2026, and Ficili’s comments all but confirm that timeline. The new Giulia, based on the same architecture, is expected to follow closely behind.

Alfa Romeo’s decision to slow-roll its EV rollout mirrors a broader shift happening across the auto industry. Buyers in many markets—including the U.S.—are still showing strong interest in gasoline and hybrid vehicles. By listening to that feedback, Alfa is giving itself more time to get the product mix right.

“Future Alfa Romeos will continue to have internal combustion, hybrid powertrains,” Ficili said. “So all of this requires a revision of plans and the time needed to bring the right cars to market at the right moment. We are working hard on this point.”

While the current Stelvio and Giulia were refreshed recently to stay competitive, they’re starting to feel their age. The delay in launching their successors isn’t ideal, but if it means more options—including powerful hybrids and ICE variants—it could be a smart long-term play for Alfa Romeo.

Source: The Drive