TURIN: There seem to be two things that automakers have to build these days to ensure their long-term survival: SUVs and electrified vehicles. Alfa Romeo has already brought us its first SUV in shape of the Stelvio, and now a hybrid SUV is in the works too.

Alfa Romeo, which has a long heritage of building sporty cars, is building a new flagship SUV with a 400hp mild hybrid propulsion system.

The new Alfa Romeo model will be a larger model than the Stelvio, and it's believed it will be marketed as a challenger to the likes of Audi's Q7. The Auto Express website was told by Alfa's bosses that this will be the first of three new models from the famed Italian brand.

Perhaps more exciting for Alfa Romeo enthusiasts is the fact that electrified powertrains are imminent.



Although larger than the Stelvio — it will actually be the biggest vehicle Alfa Romeo has ever produced in its illustrious history — the new model will be built on the same architecture, and development is already well under way. But the flagship SUV will stay true to Alfa's DNA, by having a mild hybrid setup under the bonnet, delivering a very healthy 400 bhp while also meeting increasingly stringent emissions regulations.

Alfa's chief technical officer Roberto Fedeli told Auto Express, "The Stelvio for sure is an example of Alfa DNA, why don't we translate that in a car which is a little bigger? We have to marry the new car with the right level of electrification. Plug-in hybrid could be a problem for the Alfa DNA point of view, but for instance, a 48-volt mild hybrid solution is something that we can do without losing anything."

Mild hybrid systems are increasingly being seen by major automakers as a cost-effective way of meeting emissions regulations, with Volkswagen in particular, already planning to introduce them into a number of its current and upcoming models.

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