Alfa Romeo will introduce a brand-new model at the 2019 Geneva Auto Show, Digital Trends can confirm.
“Alfa Romeo will be at the Geneva Auto Show in full force with our award-winning lineup, and something new up our sleeves as well. We’re excited to show everyone a taste of what’s next in the world of Italian performance and luxury,” company spokesman Berj Alexanian told us via email.
While he stopped short of telling us precisely what the company will unveil, earlier rumors claim we’ll discover Alfa’s second high-riding model during the event. The yet-unnamed crossover will slot directly below the Stelvio, but the two models will allegedly ride on the same platform also found under the Giulia sedan. That means Alfa’s smaller crossover will offer rear- or all-wheel drive depending on how it’s configured.
Power will almost certainly come from a turbocharged, four-cylinder engine. Alfa may not be able to fit its sonorous V6 in an engine bay smaller than the Stelvio’s, and it may not want to as government regulations in many regions make selling cars powered by a large-displacement engine increasingly costly. Alfa’s research and development department is planning a hybrid car offensive, so it’s not unreasonable to assume the upcoming crossover will receive some form of electrification during the course of its life cycle.
The five-year product plan Alfa Romeo published in June 2018 confirmed the arrival of a second crossover, though it didn’t provide a specific time frame. It’s a move that makes perfect sense. Off-roaders aren’t a big part of Alfa’s nearly 110-year heritage, though the company did build a Jeep-like model for the Italian army, but they’re in hot demand all over the world. The upcoming model could become the company’s best-seller, and it will undoubtedly help it reach its goal of selling 400,000 cars annually.
Nothing is official yet, Alfa Romeo hasn’t confirmed the reports of a second crossover, and it could surprise us with something else entirely. Alexanian added Alfa Romeo will reveal its new model on March 5, the opening day of the Geneva show. Stay tuned; Digital Trends will be on-location when the veil comes off.
