- CEO Santo Ficili confirmed that the Giulietta won’t be getting a successor after all.
- The company won’t re-enter the hatchback segment because customers prefer SUVs.
- The Alfa Romeo Tonale serves as an indirect successor of the discontinued model.
Alfa Romeo has confirmed it won’t be introducing a new hatchback, with the Tonale being its sole model in the compact segment. The decision came straight from the company’s CEO, who revealed that the Giulietta will not be part of the brand’s future lineup, citing customer preferences towards SUVs.
This disappointing news for hatchback fans came directly from Santo Ficili, Alfa Romeo’s newly appointed CEO, during an interview with French outlet L’Argus. After sharing details about the upcoming Stelvio and Giulia models, Ficili put an end to the rumors about a new Giulietta. He explained, “Honestly, at the moment, I don’t see a future for a Giulietta because there is no demand for a compact sedan. Today, the Giulietta is the Tonale.”
More: 2027 Alfa Romeo Giulia Will Be A Crossover, Abandoning Its Sedan Roots
The Alfa Romeo boss admitted to being a fan of the nameplate, but pointed to market conditions as the reason for stepping away from the segment. ‘I’ve owned 20 Giuliettas in my life, and it’s a fantastic car, even now. But we have to follow market demand, and customers want SUVs. And we have to sell cars.”
The Giulietta name has a long history, first introduced as a 2+2 coupe back in 1954, followed by a four-door sedan and a roadster. The second generation, launched in 1977, was offered exclusively as a sedan, while the hatchback version (originally intended to adopt the Milano moniker) debuted in 2010. Production of the Giulietta hatchback lasted until 2020, but now it’s clear that Alfa Romeo is shifting its focus entirely to SUVs.
A new Giulietta would have competed with models like the BMW 1-Series, Audi A3, and Mercedes A-Class. However, with the latter soon to be discontinued, Alfa Romeo likely saw limited future in that market. Instead, the most realistic future for a compact Alfa would have involved the STLA Medium platform, allowing for both electric and hybrid powertrains. This platform is set to underpin many future models across Stellantis brands, helping to optimize manufacturing costs.
Still, with hatchbacks steadily losing ground to the far more popular SUVs, it was no surprise that a brand like Alfa Romeo would focus on more profitable segments. After all, the same shift happened with the discontinued Mito supermini, which was replaced by the Junior small SUV.
More: Alfa Romeo Scraps EV-Only Plan As Dealers Warn Of Sales Collapse
The Giulietta’s potential revival had been hinted at by former CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato, who suggested in 2023 that there might still be money to be made from hatchbacks. While this statement left a window of possibility for a new generation of the Giulietta, it is now clear that Alfa Romeo has lost interest in such an offering.
Under the strategy laid out by Imparato, Alfa Romeo plans to launch one new model every year. After the Tonale, Junior, Stelvio, and Giulia debut between 2023 and 2026, the brand is set to unveil a flagship SUV/crossover in 2027, specifically designed for the US market.
