The Alfa Romeo Stelvio may take an extended hiatus in Australia once stock of the existing model is exhausted, given the launch of the next-generation mid-size luxury SUV will reportedly be delayed until late 2026 in Europe.
Such a delay would mean the second-generation SUV would be unlikely to arrive here until 2027.
Reuters has cited sources saying first European deliveries of the new Stelvio will now not take place until September or October 2026, following the slowdown of electric vehicle (EV) demand globally.
The next Stelvio was previously due to make its world debut in Italy later this year, ahead of first European deliveries in the first quarter of 2026.
It was set to be offered exclusively with electric power, as part of a previously stated goal of Alfa Romeo’s to switch to an EV-only lineup by 2027.
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However, the Italian brand cancelled its plans to become an EV-only brand in January.
According to a March report, last month it was set to end production of all-petrol powered versions of both the current Stelvio and its Giulia sedan sister model, including the Quadrifoglio V6 flagships.
The report said production will continue for diesel-powered Stelvio and Giulia variants, which haven’t been sold in Australia for several years.
According to a second Reuters source, Alfa Romeo is now developing a hybrid version of the next Stelvio, which was revealed in leaked images in April.
The same source said it will take some time for the hybrid version to be developed, despite the new Stelvio being based on Stellantis’ multi-powertrain STLA Large platform, and confirmed the planned 2026 launch of the next-generation Giulia sedan is so far unaffected by the Stelvio’s delay.
According to Reuters, the rescheduled Stelvio launch could initially slow Alfa Romeo’s wider plan to revive production and jobs in Italy, which Stellantis presented to the Italian government late last year.
Earlier last month, Stellantis’ European operations chief said the company was working on an update of the plan. And just last week, Stellantis’ North American boss Antonio Filosa was appointed as its new global CEO.
A Stellantis spokesperson told Reuters the group’s revised plan for Italy “includes an expansion and reshaping of activities in the country, in light of current market conditions, uncertainties surrounding EU regulations, and the impact of tariffs”.
Alfa Romeo sold just 62,000 vehicles globally in 2024 – well down from the Turin-based automaker’s target of 80,000-90,000 sales – including 8865 in the US, which accounts for about 15 per cent of its sales, and just 561 sales in Australia.
Last year Alfa Romeo sold just 190 examples of the Giulia in Australia (up 3.3 per cent on 2023), along with 125 Stelvios (down 25 per cent), and their axing would leave the fabled Italian auto brand with only the Tonale small SUV and the upcoming Junior light SUV.
The Tonale is a petrol and plug-in hybrid model and while the Junior will be Alfa’s first EV, it’s expected to be launched here with mild-hybrid power.
Based on the same STLA Small (eCMP2) platform as the Jeep Avenger and Fiat 600 (not sold here), the Junior was planned to be Alfa’s final combustion-powered model.
At this stage it’s unclear which petrol, hybrid or plug-in hybrid powertrains the next-gen Stelvio and Giulia will be available with, but both models will be based on the STLA Large platform featuring an 800V electrical architecture, ‘STLA Brain’ software system, and STLA SmartCockpit user interface.
The new Stelvio will be the first STLA Large-based vehicle to be produced and sold in Europe and, like their predecessors, both the next-generation Stelvio and Giulia will be built at the same Cassino factory halfway between Rome and Naples.
No details have been announced about their electric powertrains, but Stellantis has previously confirmed the STLA Large architecture can house batteries with capacities between 85 and 118kWh, and support both single-motor rear-wheel drive and multi-motor all-wheel drive configurations.
The first production vehicle based on the STLA Large architecture, the Dodge Charger Daytona, is already available in the US with a number of all-electric drivetrains, including the top-shelf 500kW/850Nm Scat Pack.
This has a claimed 0-60mph (0-97km/h) time of 3.3 seconds, despite incorporating only a 400V electrical architecture, weighing almost 2650kg and measuring 5.25m long.
However, the American muscle car will soon also become available in North America with the Hurricane 3.0-litre twin-turbo straight-six petrol engine from the 2025 Ram 1500, which produces over 400kW in high-output form.
It’s unclear if this engine could make its way to the next Giulia and Stelvio.
The current Giulia was launched in 2015, followed by the closely related Stelvio in 2016, and both models are currently available with a turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine outputting 206kW of power and 400Nm of torque in Ti and Veloce form.
The range-topping Quadrifoglio versions pack a 375kW/600 2.9-litre twin-turbo petrol V6, which propels the BMW M3-rivalling rear-drive sedan to 100km/h in a claimed 3.8 seconds and the all-wheel drive SUV to 100km/h in a claimed 3.9 seconds.
Ti, Veloce and Quadrifoglio versions of both models continue to be available in Australia, where a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel engine is no longer available despite continuing in Europe.
When reports of petrol Stelvio and Giulia production ending in May emerged in March, an Alfa Romeo Australia spokesperson told CarExpert it was “business as usual” for both mid-size models locally.
At the time, the company said it continued to order both Giulia sedans and Stelvio SUVs ex-factory until further notice, and had enough dealer stock available for the rest of this year.
Today, Alfa Romeo Australia said Stelvio production is ongoing, and the model is currently being offered with price cuts of more than $10,000 as part of an end-of-financial-year promotion.
Following the local launch of facelifted mainstream variants in May 2023 and upgraded Quadrifoglios in December 2023, a series of special-edition versions of both models were released last year, including the Tributo Italiano in February, the Super Sport in May, and the Edizione Carbonio in November.
