Alfa Romeo Milano: name confirmed for Alfa’s first EV

The Alfa Romeo Milano has been confirmed to be coming soon as the Italian brand's first EV, months after the car’s design was leaked online.

Sharing its nameplate with the American-spec Alfa 75 of the 1980s, the Alfa Romeo Milano is to be based on parent brand Stellantis’ e-CMP underpinnings, making Alfa’s new entry-level model a sister car and rival to the likes of the Peugeot E-2008, Vauxhall Mokka Electric, Jeep Avenger and new Fiat 600e SUV. While versions of the above are also available in petrol form, Alfa boss Jean-Philippe Imparato has told DrivingElectric that the Milano will be electric-only in the UK.

This being the case, the Milano will likely utilise the same 51kWh (usable) battery that was first seen in the facelifted DS3 E-Tense. The Jeep Avenger has a claimed range of up to 248 miles and we expect the Alfa to match this figure.

Yet despite sharing many of its parts with pretty unassuming small electric crossovers, Imparato has previously assured DrivingElectric that the brand’s upcoming ‘sporty urban vehicle’ will “have the driveability of an Alfa”. At launch, all Milano models will get a dual-motor, four-wheel drive powertrain – likely the same one coming to the Jeep Avenger further down the line.

When the Alfa Romeo Milano first goes on sale, buyers will be able to choose from either the Veloce or Special Edition specifications. For those looking for something a little more exciting, Alfa’s boss couldn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a high-performance Quadrifoglio version, either; he told DrivingElectric: “We have a launch version of Milano 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.”

As you can see from the leaked images, though, the Alfa Romeo Milano marks a slight departure in terms of design compared with its petrol-powered predecessors. The brand’s iconic ‘trefoil’ grille will remain, but will now extend outwards into a sleeker, reworked version of the tri-LED headlight cluster that made its debut on the hybrid-powered Tonale.

The Milano shares some similarities with other models in the Stellantis lineup, to; its boxy roofline and C-pillar-mounted door handles are like that of the Avenger, while the Alfa’s black body cladding mirrors the exterior trim on the Mokka Electric, which helps that car appear more brutish and SUV-like, compared with the smaller Vauxhall Corsa Electric.

Little is known about what the inside of Alfa Romeo’s first electric car will look like, but we expect it to feature the same Uconnect infotainment system which appears across the Stellantis lineup, including in the Fiat 500e city car. Leaked images show the car will get a digital instrument cluster, likely paired with a 10.25-inch touchscreen – as in both Fiats, the Jeep and the Tonale.

So when can we expect the Alfa Romeo Milano to make its full public debut? Alfa has confirmed the Milano will be unveiled in April 2024, before going on sale in September. Pricing is hard to pinpoint, but given Alfa’s positioning as a premium brand and the Milano’s dual-motor powertrain, a starting figure of around £40,000 seems reasonable.