Based on the Jeep Avenger, the Milano will “offer best-in-class driving dynamics and handling”, with the possibility of hot Quadrifoglio performance version after launch.
Alfa Romeo has confirmed that its new small SUV and its first fully electric car, the Milano, will be revealed on 10 April 2024 – in Milan, obviously, before arriving at dealerships in September.
The Alfa Romeo Milano will be a 4.2-metre-long baby crossover based on parent group Stellantis’s e-CMP platform used by the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600e, among many other cars. However, Alfa claims the Milano will “offer best-in-class driving dynamics and handling”, with its development being handled by engineers who worked on the 4C and 8C sports cars, Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio, and the hardcore Giulia GTA saloon.
It aims to achieve those sharp driving dynamics through “direct and extremely precise steering geometry, to guarantee quick cornering with a high level of grip.” The Milano is now in the final stages of development, undergoing further testing at Alfa Romeo’s historic proving ground in Balocco, Italy.
We’ve already had a sneak peek at the car’s styling, courtesy of some leaked pictures. The new model will be built at the same factory in Poland as the Jeep, and will share that car’s batteries and motors. But Alfa boss Jean-Philippe Imparato has reiterated it will have a sharper focus on handling agility compared to its sister cars.
2024 Alfa Romeo Milano testing – side5
When asked directly how the Milano would feel different from the Avenger and 600e, Imparato replied: “The answer to that will come on the test track at Balocco. This car follows the platform strategy of the [Stellantis] group, of course. I’m glad for that, because it brings me profits. But always with a touch of Alfa Romeo. When [Stellantis group boss] Carlos Tavares asks me what I want Alfa to be a champion of, I always reply: ‘Handling.’”
The Milano will be available globally as a pure EV, and a mild-hybrid petrol – the same 1.2-litre three-cylinder configuration as the 600 and Avenger.
The Milano name was revealed in December 2023, and last used by Alfa Romeo on US-market versions of the 75 saloon back in the late eighties. Imparato said he was glad to end speculation suggesting the car would be called Brennero or even Junior. He believes the Milano will give Alfa renewed appeal with buyers of its recent lower-end models, such as the Mito and Giulietta.
“Milano will be an answer to those people who have those cars,” Imparato told us. “We know that they have been expecting something from Alfa Romeo that fits their expectations for the next step. Alfa Romeo has always been about beauty for all, and this means that, at some point in time, you have to face the customer who wants a car that is premium but more accessible to them. This is the signal we want to send with Milano.”
Alfa Romeo Milano Quadrifoglio?
The Alfa boss also refused to rule out the possibility of a high-performance Quadrifoglio version of the Milano in the longer term. “We have a launch version of Milano,” he said, “and afterwards, based on customer feedback, based on what they are ready to pay, we will open the next step in Quadrifoglio compatibility of the car. We want first to test the acceptance and the level of target price and monthly instalments.”
Alfa currently has a plan to launch a new model every calendar year until 2026, meaning the Milano will be followed by two further vehicles, using Stellantis’s new STLA architecture.
At least one of these cars is expected to be a flagship SUV, but Imparato said, “I do not give up on the sedan [saloon] side, despite the fact that this segment is suffering. When you speak about electrification, you speak about aero, you speak about sedans. That’s a conviction for me; this silhouette will come back. I don’t want to become a purely SUV brand.”