- Alfa Romeo’s PR Department head let slip that the brand could keep its internal combustion V6.
- Customer demand might be at the heart of the decision to continue using this engine.
- It could end up being exclusive to Quadrifoglio models, but that’s par for the course.
Automakers are notorious for downplaying the influence they actually have over the market. They love to talk about “following consumer demand,” but in reality, their profit-driven teams spend a lot of time and effort convincing the public to buy what they want them to buy.
However, every now and then, customers make enough noise that even the most profit-obsessed companies have to listen. It’s the kind of power that might force Alfa Romeo to keep its 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6, which produces 505 hp (377 kW / 512 PS) and 443 lb-ft (600 Nm) of torque in its current form.
Read: New Alfa Romeo Stelvio Hits US Dealers In 2026, Current Models Sold Until Then
Alfa is already going in a direction that customers aren’t exactly stoked about. We know already that the Giulia is likely to return not as a sedan but as some sort of hybrid between a crossover and a sedan. On top of that, we’re certain that hybrids and EV powertrains are on their way too, as the company itself confirmed recently. Which begs the question: what form will the range-topping Quadrifoglio take?
Alfa’s Hesitation Over Going Electric
Speaking with Car, Cristiano Fiorio, Alfa Romeo’s head of marketing and communication, hinted that despite some reports suggesting otherwise, the Quadrifoglio won’t be making the full switch to electric anytime soon.
“Personally, I do not see a Quadrifoglio EV. I see a Quadrifoglio which has the sound of a real engine. As of now. Maybe in five years, things will change. But as of now, the Quadrifoglio to me – to us – should be something with a roar, he said.
Why not go that direction when brand sibling Dodge so readily dropped its hallowed V8 in the new Charger and replaced it with electric motors? The answer lies in Alfa’s customer base. “That is something that is expressed by fans – by customers – because the penetration of Quadrifoglio in many markets is very interesting. So, we will have to continue to give to clients what they want,” he explained.
We spied the new 2026 Alfa Romeo Giulia undergoing testing. (SH Proshots)
Alfa’s V6 Still Has a Future
Notably, Fiorio didn’t specifically say that the 2.9-liter V6 would continue in its current form, but he came about as close as one could. When asked about what engine a Quadrifoglio should have, here’s what he replied.
“If I tell you yes or no, I am telling you exactly which engine we’ll have in Giulia and Stelvio – but I tell you that you said something that is not far from our thought,” he told the magazine. .
He continued: “At the end of the day, if you express a high powertrain version for the Giulia and Stelvio which – by the way – are big cars, I would not see two, three, four cylinders… I don’t know. Maybe it’s easier with six cylinders.”
Fiorio even went as far as to clarify that the V6 could fit in the STLA Large platform on which the new Stelvio and Giulia are based – which is definitely great news for Alfa fans, as well as petrolheads who wouldn’t be caught dead in an EV no matter how fast it might be or how well it handles.
