The New Alfa Romeo Giulia Won’t Be a Sedan

The Alfa Romeo Giulia turns 10 this year, making it one of the oldest sedans on sale. Unfortunately, Italy’s sporty three-box family car is not long for this world, and with its impending demise, the traditional body style will also die. Coming in 2026, the second-generation model will not be a good ol’ saloon. Instead, the Stellantis brand is shaking things up with a new shape in response to dwindling demand for traditional sedans.

Alfa Romeo’s new CEO, Santo Ficili, also in charge of Maserati, made the important disclosure in an interview with French publication L’Argus. He said the overhauled Giulia will embrace “a new design and a new type of bodywork.” He suggested it will feature SUV cues: “Its platform will be the same as that of the Stelvio. So you can imagine what kind of vehicle we will offer.”

But logic tells us it won’t be a fully fledged crossover. After all, the Stelvio has already taken that role and will continue in the next generation, which will debut by the end of this year. Transforming the Giulia into a similarly sized SUV would cannibalize sales, as the two models would clash.

Company officials have previously suggested that the new Giulia will be a five-door liftback, similar to the Citroën C5 X, Peugeot 4008, and the recently launched DS N°8. Expect a higher ground clearance than the typical sedan, but the car is unlikely to sit as high as the next Stelvio. It’s likely to have a swoopy roofline, which detracts from practicality, instead of the SUV’s flatter roof, which increases headroom and cargo capacity.

Whatever the case may be, the next-gen Giulia is going to look “the bomb.” In a statement last year to Motor1, former Alfa Romeo CEO Jean Philippe Imparato said, “What we designed is a bomb. We couldn’t finalize the style of this car without being absolutely in love with it. And now we are!” We also know it’s going to be larger than the outgoing model after switching from the billion-dollar Giorgio platform to Stellantis’ new STLA Large architecture.

Today’s Giulia is only 183.5 inches (4660 millimeters) long, but the new underpinnings are for vehicles that stretch from 187.6 to 201.8 inches (4764 to 5126 millimeters). The car will also be wider, growing from the current car’s 73.3 inches (1873 millimeters) width to anywhere between 74.7 and 79.9 inches (1897 to 2030 millimeters).

Next-gen Alfa Romeo Stelvio rendering by Motor1

Next-gen Alfa Romeo Stelvio rendering by Motor1

With its 111-inch (2820-mm) wheelbase, the current Giulia has been criticized for its tight back seats, but its replacement might solve that issue. The STLA Large platform was conceived for vehicles with wheelbases ranging from 113.0 to 121.1 inches (2870 to 3075 millimeters).

Unlike the current gas-only Giulia, its successor will be based on a “BEV-native” platform. However, according to Santo Ficili, combustion engines are still planned for the Stelvio. By extension, we expect cheaper Giulia models also to have ICE power. The Quadrifoglio’s Ferrari-derived V-6 is going away, but we’re not losing hope for a six-cylinder engine. The mechanically related Dodge Charger Sixpack has a twin-turbo, 3.0-liter “Hurricane” inline-six with up to 550 hp.

Alfa Romeo has backtracked from its goal of becoming a purely electric brand in North America in 2027, and there’s a good chance it will keep combustion engines in other markets as well.