Brennero it was all along: Alfa Romeo confirms small SUV’s name

Having set the ball in motion with a teaser image displaying the taillights supposedly of its incoming new small SUV instead of the Tonale last month, Alfa Romeo has now all but confirmed the newcomer’s name by means of a cryptic teaser on social media.

“We knew”

Maybe we’ve known it all along.#AlfaRomeo pic.twitter.com/dE10xGYXwO

— Alfa Romeo (@alfa_romeo) December 6, 2023

Reported in 2021 to be called Brennero in reference to the Brenner mountain pass similar to the Stelvio, the automaker back tracked on confirming the moniker in July by opening it up to the public by means of a vote.

In the latest teaser though, the voting seemingly never required implementing as the 15 second clip posted on X, formerly twitter, bears the caption “maybe we’ve known all along” while showing the GPS co-ordinates of four specific places.

ALSO READ: Alfa Romeo calls for public involvement in naming of new SUV

According to motor1.com, the areas alluded to are Alfa Romeo’s museum in Arese, its Balocco proving grounds, the Stelvio pass and indeed the Brenner pass, the latter all but confirming the replacement for the Giulietta, known internally as The Kid, will be called Brennero after all.

Shared platform

Described by Milan at the release of the initial teaser as an urban SUV that will “rewrite the rules” of the segment, the Brennero will ride on the same CMP platform as the Jeep Avenger and electric Fiat 600e, and offer both petrol, hybrid and electric powertrains.

The latter only expected to arrive in 2025, two years before Alfa Romeo’s move towards becoming an entirely electric brand, the Brennero will be built alongside its siblings in Poland rather than in Italy as a result of the main facility in Cassino assembling the Giulia and Stelvio, and the Pomigliano d’Arco plant outside Naples the Tonale as well as its badge engineered twin, the Dodge Hornet.

“It will be Alfa’s first full-electric vehicle, but it will also offer versions with combustion engines. We’ll launch our first electric-only vehicle in 2025. Starting that year all new models will be 100 percent electric, worldwide,” Alfa Romeo boss Jean-Phillipe Imparato told Automotive News Europe last year.

Along with their respective EV versions, producing 115kW/260Nm, the combustion engine Avenger and 600 both employ the long serving 1.2-litre turbocharged three-cylinder PureTech petrol engine rated at 74kW/205Nm.

On the hybrid side, a 48-volt belt/starter generator has been paired to the PureTech engine, though with the same outputs and instead of the six-speed manual gearbox, a six-speed dual-clutch.

More in 2024

The same trio of options Alfa Romeo will likely use in the production Brennero, Milan is expected to release more teasers, and most likely official details, once into 2024.

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