Land Rover and Alfa Romeo are ready to dip their toes in the battery-electric vehicle (BEV) market, with both brands teasing new all-electric SUVs for next year. They already sell plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs).
These fresh models will be both brands' first attempt at a BEV and part of larger promises about fully electrified lineups by the end of the decade.
The similarities end there as Alfa's entry promises to be small and affordable and made for the city centers of Europe. The Range Rover will be large, for affluent buyers and made for daily drives and the occasional rocky trail.
Alfa Romeo Milano
Alfa Romeo's first fully electric SUV has been named Milano, the Italian word for the city of Milan, Italy, where Alfa Romeo was founded. The car was teased today in new photographs and will be officially revealed in April of 2024 before going on sale that September.
The new Alfa Romeo Milano will slot below both the plug-in hybrid Tonale crossover and the larger Giulia SUV as a "B-segment" subcompact model. It will be equivalent in size to the Chevrolet Trax and Hyundai Kona.
The Milano will use the same platform as the Jeep Avenger, which was built specifically for Europe. It is unlikely that the vehicle will be sold in North America, experts say.
Like the Jeep, the Milano will ride Stellantis's e-CMP architecture and be built at the same factory in Poland. Expect it to share motors and batteries as well. The Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato did say it will be more sporty than the Jeep focusing on handling and agility.
According to reports it will first be available as pure electric vehicle (EV), and then as a mild hybrid with a small gasoline engine. Alfa's CEO said the Milano will debut with four-wheel drive only and that only the electric version will be available in the United Kingdom. Other versions will be sold alongside the BEV elsewhere.
Imparato also said it would be priced a little higher than the Jeep Avenger, which befits the brand's premium positioning and similar to how the Dodge Hornet is positioned compared to the Tonale.
The Milano will be up against other subcompacts like the new Volvo EX30 and MINI Countryman. The Alfa boss also did not rule out a Quadrifoglio version of the Milano.
As part of the vehicle introduction, Alfa Romeo, owned by Stellantis since 2021, clarified its EV strategy going forward. The plan is tagged as "from zero to zero," meaning it wants to go from zero electrified vehicles to a lineup with zero emissions in 2027.
In 2025 Alfa Romeo will unveil its first vehicle exclusively available as an EV. By 2027 its whole lineup will be 100 percent electric.
Range Rover Electric
The new Land Rover Range Rover Electric promises everything buyers expect from a gasoline-powered Range Rover, and more. It will come equipped with more than 33 inches of water fording capability, four-wheel drive and active noise cancellation and deliver a comfortable ride.
Land Rover says it plans to file more patents for the new EV than any SUV before.
The new Range Rover will use the company's MLA platform that also underpins mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid Range Rovers, and will be built alongside them in Solihull, England.
It will also have 800-volt electrical architecture, the same level that underpins the Kia EV9 and Hyundai Ioniq lineup.
Range Rover says that a year of virtual development of the model has been completed and that the first physical vehicles have been built. They're currently testing in hot and cold weather in Dubai and Sweden.
The company also said that because the SUV is its first fully electric vehicle it aims to ensure the toughness of the electric drive system, "including its underfloor, battery durability, chassis integrity and vehicle dynamics tests for thermal derating." Powertrain issues have traditionally plagued Land Rover models, including Range Rovers.
Range Rover has opened a waiting list for future buyers on its website.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Jake Lingeman is the Managing Editor for the Autos team at Newsweek. He has previously worked for Autoweek, The Detroit ... Read more
