The Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio will survive through 2027

Alfa Romeo won’t yet discontinue the current Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV, with the Italian marque confirming that both will continue to be available in Europe throughout this year and 2027. And yes, that includes the sublime Quadrifoglio high-performance models.

The rumour mill has been flush with talk of what will replace the pair for a while, with Alfa Romeo initially claiming that they would be electric and be based on the Stellantis STLA Large platform. The plan then switched to offering a variety of powertrains, from full electric to plug-in hybrid models incorporating combustion engines, which STLA-Large has the versatility to support but still requiring a degree of extra engineering. Prototypes of the next Stelvio have been spotted testing, though it’s not been clear whether the car spotted was electric or a hybrid.

Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo CEO, told our sister title Auto Express that 'we need to changed everything', at the Brussels Motor Show back in March. 'We need to go from only-BEV to all the other powertrains. You can imagine what it means we need to change: to reinvent platforms, electronic architectures, connectivity of the car,' he said.

This latest move by Alfa Romeo to give the current models such a sprawling stay of execution confirms a protaction of the development of the next-generation models. The next Stelvio was initially expected to be revealed in 2026 before going on sale in 2027. Now we don’t expect to see the new models until at the earliest the end of 2027 or into 2028. 

The Giulia and Stelvio are getting a little long in the tooth, with the saloon first being revealed in June 2015 and the SUV being introduced a year later. While we enjoy the relative simplicity of their cabins - the fact they predate the overdigitalisation that afflicts many of their rivals - what is now last-gen tech will be a turn-off for some.

What these models give little to nothing away to much more up-to-date rivals is when it comes to the driving experience. More modern inside the likes of a BMW 3-series may be but the Alfa is lighter and feels it too, as well as being more compact. The Giorgio platform has stood the test of time beautifully and Alfa Romeo has been deft in its deployment of updates. 

The 513bhp twin-turbo V6 Giulia Quadrifoglio is as it stands, even at over a decade old, one of if not the finest small sports saloon you can buy, the detail revisions to its steering, damping and rear axle neatly elevating it over the years. Production of the high-performance super saloon did actually end temporarily but will now recommence in April. The standard Giulia will also continue with its 276bhp four-cylinder engine powering a rationalised range.