► Alfa has set about saving its V6 engine
► The next Quadrifoglio won’t be an EV
► Could use Alfa’s current 2.9-litre unit
Alfa Romeo has some challenging years ahead. The brand has embarked on the Sisyphean task of convincing its petrol-swilling customers that electric motors can be interesting and, crucially, that it’s hottest Quadrifoglio performance cars won’t lose any of their charm if they’re forced to surrender their V6 engines.
But Alfa’s efforts haven’t yet amounted to much, as the public response to the notion of an electric Quadrifoglio has been scathing. Alfa drivers want Alfa engines, not electric motors. The same sentiments are being expressed by fans of other performance car brands – and they’re forcing manufacturers to make some serious changes to their electrification plans.
In March 2025, for example, Porsche rowed back on its EV commitments by announcing it was ‘evaluating’ a new, petrol-powered SUV to compensate for the Macan EV’s disappointingly slow sales. Mercedes-AMG’s boss also told CAR he lost customers by replacing the brand’s thundering V8s with plug-in hybrid four-cylinder powertrains.
Alfa has finally cottoned onto the trend – and it’s set about saving its V6 engine from the executioner. I had the company’s current plans for the future of Quadrifoglio explained to me by Cristiano Fiorio, head of the Alfa Romeo’s marketing and communication department.
He told me: ‘everyone expresses the fact that they want an Alfa Romeo with a Quadrifoglio. This is pretty clear […] because Quadrifoglio is the pinnacle of the brand – and we will continue to have Quadrifoglio forever. That’s a no brainer.’
But then, Fiorio dropped a bomb. He said: ‘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.
‘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.’
I then pressed Fiorio for details on whether Alfa Romeo’s current 2.9-litre V6 engine could be updated to comply with Euro 7 emissions standards and beyond, thus extending its usable life into the new Stelvio (seen winter testing below) and next Giulia’s production cycles.
He furrowed his brow and chucked me an exasperated expression before saying: ‘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 thoughts.
‘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.’ Then, through a wry smile, he said: ‘I don’t know. Maybe it’s easier with six cylinders.’
Plus, Fiorio hinted that it’s technically possible to drop Alfa’s 2.9-litre V6 into the STLA Large architecture that’ll sit under the new Stelvio (above) and Giulia. ‘The platform was developed to be a multi energy. So, there is zero problem to adapting the platform to any kind of engine. It was developed to not to stick only with electrification. There is no problem at all.’
Did Fiorio let anything else slip?
He made it clear that he doesn’t like how complicated modern cars are – and he said he’s going to address that with the new Stelvio and Giulia. ‘The cars today have too much,’ he said. ‘In general, cars have too much. Too many buttons, too much technology.
‘Why? Because, of course, the development of technology helps a lot – and when it helps to save lives, I love it. It’s more than fine. But then, the cars have to be driven and I want the pleasure of driving, not the pleasure of playing a video game or having an infotainment in the car to look at movies. That, I don’t think at all is the purpose of our brand.
‘The purpose of our brand is to give to customers cars that are nice to drive – and when you want to drive and you want to feel the pleasure of driving, they respond to your needs. If you have to understand the technology before driving, that cannot be an Alfa Romeo.’
I’ve been worried about Alfa Romeo’s prospects under Stellantis since the merger, especially given the group’s fixation on homogeneity and electrification. But my chat with Fiorio has restored my faith. If he gets his own way, the next Giulia might just dish out the same thrashing to the BMW M5 as its predecessor handed to the M3. Here’s hoping.