Alfa Romeo today announced that its design department will now be headed by Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. An industry veteran, the Spanish is best known for his work at Volkswagen-owned Seat.
A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, Mesonero-Romanos played a role in the creation of the second-generation Renault Laguna before joining Seat in 2011 as its design director. According to Alfa Romeo, “his bold style brought about the renaissance” of the brand. In Seat, he helped bring the Cupra Tavascan and Formentor into existence, and he was also behind the fourth-generation Leon and the fifth-generation Ibiza. Most recently, he spent a year at Dacia.
At Alfa Romeo, Mesonero-Romanos’ work will focus on refreshing the brand and leading its electrification and modernization process. In his new role, he will report to Stellantis Chief Design Officer Jean-Pierre Ploué.
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The Cupra Tavscan Concept
“Alejandro’s arrival represents a great opportunity for Alfa Romeo,” said Ploué. “Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos is a car enthusiast and did a wonderful job at Cupra. The Design Team and I look forward to working with him.”
Alfa Romeo, and indeed the wider Stellantis group, have promised a renewed focus on electrification. The Italian brand will therefore ditch the Giorgio platform of the Giulia and the Stelvio, replacing it with the new STLA architecture, which is also going to underpin future Maserati sedans and SUVs.
Alfa Romeo CEO to Jean-Philippe Imparato said that he is “happy to address the upcoming challenges at Alfa Romeo with a forward-thinker like Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos. This close partnership is expected to bring success to the brand.”
