New Alfa Romeo Milano takes marque into the electric era

Alfa Romeo revealed on Monday its all-new Milano, a premium compact crossover SUV available with both fully electric and hybrid powertrains.

Unveiled in Milan, the home of the Italian carmaker founded in 1910, the Milano is built on the new Stellantis e-CMP platform and measures 4,170mm in length, 1,780mm in width and 1,500mm in height. To make sure it is imbued with enough kerbside aggression, Alfa Romeo have given it short front/rear overhangs, muscular wheel arches and a “truncated tail” referencing the firm's legendary Giulia TZ. Up front you'll find an aggressive shield-shaped grille flanked by a narrow set of “3+3" and adaptive Full LED Matrix headlights. 

These unashamedly sporty vibes continue on in the interior with features such as a small-diameter steering wheel set in front of a driver-focused dashboard home to a historical “telescope” design instrument cluster incorporating a fully digital 10.25-inch TFT screen. This is complemented by a centre-mounted 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment system offering both smartphone mirroring (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto) and a whole host of user-customisable widgets and graphic components.

Other standout features include air conditioning vents in the shape of a quadrifoglio (four-leaf clover) and Sabelt sports seats. There's also a strip of mechanical switches offering access to climate control settings. 

The Milano Elettrica is fitted with a 54kWh lithium-ion battery pack powering a single hybrid synchronous motor. According to Alfa Romeo, the base model is good for 116kW and offers 410km of driving range on the WLTP cycle. The more potent Elettrica Veloce makes 178kW and is fitted with a lowered sports suspension (-25mm), stiffer front and rear anti-roll bars, a Torsen mechanical limited-slip differential and bigger front brakes with 380mm rotors and four-pot monobloc calipers.

Juicing up both Milano Elettrica models is straightforward: at 100kW DC fast charging stations, it takes less than 30 minutes to charge the batteries from 10% to 80%. 

The hybrid version, the Milano Ibrida, is powered by a 100kW 1.2l three-cylinder turbo petrol engine partnered to a 48V lithium-ion battery and 21kW electric motor built into the six-speed dual-clutch gearbox. According to Alfa Romeo, it offers a smooth driving experience with an all-electric driving mode available at speeds up to 150km/h. Power is sent to the front wheels though an all-wheel drive Q4 will be available at a later date.

For a limited time Alfa Romeo is offering a special launch edition of both the Milano Elettrica Veloce and Ibrida. Specced to the nines, the Milano Speciale stands out with a unique Progresso badge, matt sports finishes with accents in Brera red and 18-inch Petali lightweight alloy wheels.

Meanwhile, the interior is spiced up with the addition of Spiga vinyl and fabric upholstery, leather steering wheel, customisable interior lighting with eight hues and an electrically operated driver’s seat with massage functionality. 

Also standard is level 2 autonomous driving, connected navigation, a 180° rear camera, hands-free electric tailgate and keyless entry. The electric version is equipped with an 11kW three-phase on-board charger to ensure the best charging performance in all situations.

In Europe the Alfa Romeo Milano starts at €39,500 (R795,255). Order books are open.