+++ The all-new ALFA ROMEO GIULIA may now be offered with petrol engines as well as electric power, signalling a possible dramatic U-turn for the maker’s range of large family cars. Ex-Alfa boss and recently-appointed Stellantis Europe CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato told: “As we are blind in terms of changes in regulation, my only answer is that I have the means to adapt. “We will assess where we are”, he told us. “If the current global ecosystem does not change, the Giulia will be 100 percent electric. If I see it is changing, or that I’m not matching what I want, it is not a problem to adjust with alternative powertrains”. Alfa Romeo had been finalising its plan to become a fully-electric car company by 2027, and while it isn’t turning its back on EVs, the Giulia and closely-related Stelvio SUV may follow in the footsteps of the smaller Junior crossover by being offered with a range of powertrains in time. Both the Giulia and Stelvio are expected to sit on the Stellantis STLA Large architecture, which will also support other models within the wider Stellantis stable. The Giulia EV’s underpinnings will offer a minimum of 800km of range, with battery sizes ranging from 85 kWh to 118 kWh, according to Stellantis investor information. This would give the electric Giulia one of the longest ranges of any EV on sale. It will apparently have class-leading rapid-charge capability, with up to 30 km of range added per minute. But speaking more recently from the 2024 Paris Motor Show, Imperato told his Alfa successor Santo Ficili “has the flex” to implement a multi-fuel strategy if market conditions and customer appetites dictate it. This contradicts the stance from a few years ago, and reflect Europe’s softening EV market. Back in 2022, Imperato said a move to full electrification for its core saloon was a must as the brand looked to turn its portfolio of models to fully electric by the end of the decade. “I have to make some big choices”, he said previously. “If I want to have more than an average level of performance, I must be bold. If I say I go electric, I go electric. I’m not half pregnant, if you see what I mean? It doesn’t work. It is a risk, but that’s normal. We are here to take some risks, but we have passed the tipping point for me”. One thing that hasn’t changed, however, is the maker’s focus on engagement. Back then, Alfa’s boss outlined that the brand would continue to prioritise the driver-centric and sporty approach its cars have become known for. In Paris, he told us: “You will see, on STLA Large, the level of performance we can reach”. He doesn’t see this being diluted with Alfa’s EVs, either: “I would love to have this ‘light is right’ tagline for Alfa Romeo”, Imparato said. “Even if I have one tonne of battery behind me, I want to convey an idea of lightness, even if I am electrified. It’s a fundamental of Alfa Romeo and we are building this new range based on that. But it’s not enough. We are working on the vibe you will feel when you drive an Alfa Romeo in 2025”. This won’t be an artificial sound either, according to Imparato. The Frenchman outlined that he doesn’t want to bring fake features to Alfa’s cars, which would not be in keeping with its values. As a result, his innovation team is working on sensations it wants its customers to feel, vibrations, feedback “probably some new sounds and movements, but nothing fake; that is the intention”. On the performance end of the Giulia scale, the Quadrifoglio’s future is not clear. There is potential for more powerful all-wheel drive models to sit on the STLA Large platform, with Stellantis claiming a 0-100 kph time of 2.0 seconds is possible for cars based on this tech. Imparato has said that if Alfa Romeo was not able to deliver the right level of performance a Quadrifoglio model needed to bring in any given sector, the brand would not compromise by building such a car. Alfa Romeo will study a performance-focused Quadrifoglio version on all of its new-car launches, looking to offer this higher-powered, more aggressive option that’s “fully consistent with the Quadrifoglio message that we stand for since the beginning of the brand”. For the EV, Stellantis will have 3 electric drive modules at its disposal, with the third offering 400 or 800 volt tech and up to 450 hp per motor. It means to reach the required performance level for a Giulia Quadrifoglio it would likely use a dual-motor four-wheel-drive set-up. Any combustion-engined option is likely to pair a 6-cylinder turbocharged engine with either mild or plug-in hybrid power. To protect the characteristics Alfa needs its future cars to have the brand has a member of its product team embedded in the development of the STLA Large architecture. “The guy who is embedded by us to define the specification, the features, the performance, is Fabio Migliavacca, the guy who developed the GTA version for Alfa Romeo”, Imperato said. “He breathes Alfa Romeo, so he will give the features we need to define this totally clean-sheet design”. There are also a number of “dream cars” Imparato and the team he leaves behind would love to create. While he admitted a GTV is on that list, he said: “If I have to make a choice, I go for the Duetto Spider. Obviously, we have designed that car, but I will not dare to put that on the table before Alfa is completely secure in its finances. But we can do it with the technological bridge we have in the product plan, no problem”. +++
+++ AUDI is to end production of its A1 and Q2 models during 2025. It’s been known for some time that the smallest Audi models would not be directly replaced but now we have better visibility of when they will depart the scene. Both are reaching the end of their life cycles and aren’t sold in the big markets of the US and China, so they will disappear from the Audi line-up despite their popularity in other countries. Worldwide, Audi sells more Q7s than A1s, and makes significantly more money on each car. The move is also designed to put more distance between Audi and sister brand Volkswagen, the premium and mainstream arms of the Volkswagen Group, with the A3 set to be the entry point to Audi’s line-up in the future. Audi should build enough A1 and Q2 stock to satisfy demand through towards the end of next year before cars stop rolling out of the factory. In time, the Q2 will be replaced in the Audi range by a similarly sized electric SUV that will sit beneath the A4 e-Tron. Priced at around €35.000, that car will compete with the likes of the Volvo EX30 and BMW iX1, although it’s not expected to reach showrooms before 2027. It will arrive at around the same time as the new A4, the electric compact executive model that will sit alongside the new petrol-powered A5 saloon and Avant. Next year’s big arrivals include a pair of plug-in hybrid versions of the new A5 and the all-new Q5; the brand’s big sellers. Both will be on the road in the first 4 months of the year, while the new A7 will also be revealed next summer and arrive in the Audi showroom before the end of 2025. +++
+++ The next-generation DACIA SANDERO , due in 2027, is likely to move to electric power, although the brand is able to hold off on the decision until late next year in case electric car uptake continues to be slow, according to chief executive Denis Le Vot. Despite previous speculation that the car would definitely be an EV, Le Vot, speaking at the 2024 Paris Motor Show, said Dacia’s “Leap 100” strategy means the company will accelerate from making the decision to launching the car in 100 weeks, which allows it to delay a final call on the powertrain for its next-generation supermini until late next year before committing. But it will have to commit to either EV or ICE, with the Renault Group only developing platforms for one powertrain or the other, rather than the Stellantis approach, for example, of having petrol and electric alternatives on the same platform. “Dacia is going to use the shelf of techno bricks of the Group to choose, at the last moment, the best solution”, said Le Vot, referring to the range of powertrain technology it can select from within the Renault Group. “Come back to me at Christmas 2025. We have a year, and anything can happen in terms of technology in a year”. Le Vot confirmed that the Sandero, provided it comes to market as an EV, will be Dacia’s second electric vehicle after the Spring. “We have already got one, and then the next natural one would be 2027”. That means the new C-segment car, currently unnamed but with the codename C-Neo, will use the same hybrid powertrain as the new Bigster, which was shown for the first time at the 2024 Paris show. He also declined to put a date on how quickly Dacia will transition to becoming a full electric brand. “We don’t say anything, we’re going to do it gradually”, he concluded. +++
+++ The new HONDA PRELUDE has been spied testing for the first time, while the hybrid sports coupé’s project leader has refused to rule out that it could offer a manual-style transmission. Honda will revive the long-running model after a gap of more than 20 years, with the new version due to go on sale in 2026. It’s based on the Civic and is set to serve as a halo product for the Japanese brand’s electrified technologies, using a 2.0-litre hybrid powertrain. Already revealed as a show car, the Prelude has now been spied testing in the German countryside. Although it’s covered in a camouflage wrap, it’s clear that the styling of the show car will be carried through to production. While Honda has been coy on technical details about the Prelude, there have been reports in the Japanese and Australian media that in order to meet the car’s sporty brief, it’s planning to fit a manual gearbox, or at least a system that replicates a manual. Project leader Tomoyuki Yamagami said that “the joy of driving is a top priority for us” and “when you’re in charge of developing the Prelude, you understand everyone has a lot of expectations of a coupé”. Asked about the manual gearbox reports, he said: “It’s very hard to answer that. Let me say that I own 3 cars and 2 of them have a manual transmission: one is an Accord Type R, the other a 997 (a Porsche 911), because I’m a big fan of manuals. I really love manual vehicles, and I can only say that it would be something I’d like for the Prelude. With a manual transmission, it would be a very fun vehicle to be with”. Honda has previously offered a manual gearbox on Civic and Insight hybrids, but it would be complex to install on the firm’s current e:HEV hybrid system. Instead of having the petrol engine driving the wheels while being assisted by a small electric motor, this uses only the motor for propulsion, with the engine acting as a generator to charge the battery. This removes the need for traditional gearing, so it’s likely that any manual-style transmission offered on the Prelude would be a simulated one, similar to that offered on the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N. +++
+++ Thanks to some new teasers posted by MERCEDES , we can have our best look yet at the upcoming CLA which is set to introduce a new technological era for the German brand. The design of the next-generation CLA will take inspiration from the Concept CLA Class, which was revealed in 2023, and the new car will rival the Tesla Model 3. Wearing a special camouflage for the Festival d’Hyères in France, the prototype car in these teasers gives us a clearer look at the headlights’ design and the shape of the ‘panamerica’ grille, which is wearing the three-pointed star for the first time. From the side, the new CLA looks very familiar, with similar proportions to the outgoing model, and the same rakish roofline. The production car’s rear lights look like they’ll closely match those of the Concept CLA Class. The CLA will be the first of 4 all-new Mercedes ‘entry luxury’ cars based on a new MMA architecture, designed “electric first” but also offering hybridised petrol engines. The other 3 models will be replacements for the GLA and GLB, and the CLA Shooting Brake, with Mercedes picking this portfolio in line with the biggest global demand. That means the current A-Class hatchback will not be replaced. Mercedes is having to hedge its bets and develop both electric and combustion models, because global demand for EVs is running at half the level the industry originally expected. To avoid making the MMA-based range irrelevant to a large chunk of the car-buying public, the Mercedes chairman Ola Källenius said, “We will have the choice for consumers of electric vehicle, high-tech combustion and plug-in hybrid”. The new CLA will be so hi-tech that it will be “safer than an S-Class”, the brand’s boss previously told. He also revealed that the all-new car will have “world beating four-cylinder engines”. Mercedes will keep developing its mild-hybrid 4-cylinder petrol and plug-in hybrid engines, to keep them compliant with tightening European emissions regulations due in the next few years. “It would never have made sense to cut off our combustion business in Europe in 2027 in any scenario”, he told. “Which means we’ll offer a powertrain portfolio from the brand-new, hi-tech, hybridised, world-beating 4-cylinder that we’re developing for the MMA platform, all the way up to the V8 that AMG customers love”. The upcoming baby Benz may be compact but it’ll be packed with technology, introducing the all-new Mercedes Operating System (MB.OS) delivering leading-edge connected, infotainment and autonomous driving features. Mercedes is the world’s first car maker to get Level 3 ‘eyes-off’ assisted driving approved by regulators in Germany and some US states, and next year S-Class and EQS owners will be able to watch videos or email at the wheel while their vehicles cruise behind a lorry at up to 199 km/h on the autobahn. And the CLA will build on this, with all the necessary hardware (cameras, lidar, sensors and back-up steering and braking systems) built into the architecture and ready to be activated by Over The Air software updates if a customer doesn’t specify Drive Pilot 95 at launch. It theoretically enables Mercedes to extend the use of autonomous driving into urban areas – assuming the technological challenges are surpassed over the MMA cars’ lifecycles. “The next-generation automated driving in the CLA will be the most sophisticated, the best assistant system that we have ever done, by a wide, wide margin”, said the boss. “As quickly as possible that would come back up into the S-Class: even though the one in today’s S-Class is probably the best in the world, the CLA will beat it”. At least until the new S-Class arrives on an updated version of today’s architecture by 2028. But all this tech will come at a price, with Mercedes mooting a starting figure of just under €60.000 for the electric CLA. The company will target the Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2 as key rivals when the compact saloon goes on sale in 2025. But the spec of the MMA-based EVs looks highly competitive. With an electrical architecture of 800 Volt (twice that of current Teslas), the CLA should be able to restore almost 400 km of range in around 15 minutes on a 300 kW DC public charger. Indeed Mercedes predicts a total range beyond 735 km, thanks to its latest battery-cell chemistry and an efficient electric drivetrain. +++
+++ RENAULT GROUP boss Luca de Meo has played down the risk of Chinese brands coming into Europe and pushing the established players out of business, suggesting a new spirit of co-operation could help shore up the future of European car manufacturing. Speaking in response to questions about tariffs on Chinese cars, de Meo predicted a shift in the dynamic between European makers, component suppliers and the incoming brands. “They might have to think about localising production, integrating differently in a deeper way into the ecosystem, which is actually what they asked us to do when we went into China 20, 25 years ago”, said de Meo, speaking at the Paris Motor Show. “Maybe the Chinese can help, doing joint ventures, financing things; instead of doing that in China, they do it here, so they can take part”. De Meo pointed out that the new Chinese brands are not the first to try and enter Europe and played down the risk of a complete takeover. “I’m old enough to have seen the Japanese and then the Koreans come in to Europe, and it was before my time professionally but also the Americans with Ford and GM. You add up American, Japanese and Koreans and you’re at 25% of the European market, and not 95%, and we’re still there; actually, last year, Renault had the best result in its history”, De Meo continued. “So it doesn’t mean we’re going to be wiped out. It’s not going to be a walk in the park. We’re going to react, we’re going to compete”. The boss of Renault Group added that European brands will need the experience of Chinese firms with battery technology in particular. “I always said we need to find a deal with China, because we won’t be able to compete and to accelerate the electric vehicle without the support of the Chinese companies that control the mining industry, their chemical refining, their capacity and competence”, he declared. “Most of the gigafactories built in Europe are actually built and designed by Chinese companies, because they have experience. “I believe that we need to find a deal. This is now the time of discussion, instead of regretting whether the thing went a certain way, and making arguments about opportunity or having important duties or not so”, de Meo concluded. “So what kind of deal can we do, because they want access to the European market, it’s a rich market. It’s one of the markets that will naturally go electric so they need a share of the cake, and in exchange for that, we probably need some help”. +++
+++ Stellantis boss Carlos TAVARES wants to be “on the good side of history” in the switch to electric cars and will not call on any governments to delay their adoption. Tavares has spoken out against schemes like the UK’s zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) mandate that requires car makers to sell a set proportion of electric vehicles or face fines, claiming they go beyond consumer demand, but ultimately he is convinced the switch to electric cars is the correct one. In a passionate address at the Paris motor show, Tavares said: “We want to be on the good side of history in terms of contributing to fixing the global warming issue”. He admitted that he was “very cynical” about the European Union’s strategy to adopt EVs, “which I believe was too costly and not efficient enough”, but he said that his grievances with this are now “over”. +++