The wait is over for Alfa Romeo fans who had long wanted and demanded that the brand launch a compact model. It is already here and it is called Milano, in reference to the city where the brand was born back in 1910. With it, sportsmanship returns to a legendary brand due to its rich heritage in competition and its dynamic tradition. It is, according to Alfa Romeo itself, “a sports car at heart, compact in size and Italian style at first glance.” Presented today to the international press in Milan, orders for the new Milano in its Speciale and electric variants are now open. Hybrid versions will follow shortly.
Created at the Centro Stile Alfa Romeo in Turin, it is distinguished by a combination of functional beauty in balance with the aesthetic tradition of the century-old transalpine firm. Its compact dimensions (4.17 meters long, 1.78 m wide and 1.5 m high) and its expressive silhouette draw a singular automobile, of original design, with great purity of its lines and great attention to the quality of the surfaces. It sports a sinuous and exciting profile with short overhangs, muscular wheel arches and the iconic "coda tronca" rear end, a reference to the legendary Giulia TZ.
The same inspiration of pure sportiness can be found in the interior with numerous nods to Alfa Romeo's history, such as a compact steering wheel, instrument panel and its iconic "telescope" design. In the center of the instrument panel stands out a 10.25-inch TFT screen while in the center of the dashboard and facing the driver is another 10.25" touch screen developed to work with widgets in an intuitive and configurable way with just a touch. drag and drop them. Another evocative detail to embellish the cabin are the air conditioning vents in the shape of a quadrifoglio (four-leaf clover), the quintessential symbol of Alfa Romeo sportiness.
In the zero-emissions version, Alfa has combined an electric motor and a new battery to give it high power and torque for uncompromising driving pleasure with segment-leading dynamics thanks to a specific powertrain calibration.
Available in two power versions, 156 HP or the sportier Veloce of 240 HP, the Milano guarantees excellent levels of performance and the attractive and emotional sports driving of all Alfa Romeos. In the 156 HP version, the 54 kWh lithium-ion battery pack provides 410 km of range in the WLTP cycle, or 590 km in the urban cycle. Plugged into a 100 kW DC fast charging station, it takes less than 30 minutes to charge the batteries from 10 to 80%.
For its part, the hybrid variant offers the emotions and advantages of electrified driving without the need for recharging. To achieve this, the Milano adopts an architecture with a 1.2-liter 3-cylinder engine with a variable geometry turbo assisted by a 48 V lithium-ion battery to develop a power of 136 HP. The 21 kW electric motor integrated into the 6-speed dual-clutch gearbox works together with the inverter and transmission control unit to ensure maximum efficiency.
Thus, the Milano Ibrida will offer a smooth driving experience to move around the city in electric mode more than 50% of the time; but also outside the city with a limited load and speeds of up to 150 km/h. Alfa Romeo also offers two drive solutions for this version: front-wheel drive or Q4 all-wheel drive, a first in the premium segment that will be available later.
Based on the lowest weight in the segment and an optimal distribution of masses, the team that has coordinated the development of the driving dynamics of the Milano is the same that has developed the Giulia GTA, with its operations center at the circuit of Balocco tests. The objective was for the new compact from the transalpine firm to achieve the best road grip in its class, which has been possible thanks to specific technical solutions in the Veloce version.
In this sense, it has the most direct steering in the segment (14.6), specially calibrated to be extremely precise; the sports suspension has been lowered by 25 mm in this variant; the front and rear stabilizer bars are extra-sporty to ensure fast cornering with a high level of poise; The braking system includes front discs measuring more than 380 mm with 4-piston monobloc calipers; and the Torsen differential offers the best possible traction in all conditions. In this way, the Milano Veloce enters the world of electric cars as a true Alfa Romeo.
The range strategy designed for the Alfa Romeo Milano facilitates customer configuration. In this way, it is offered with four propulsion systems: Ibrida with 136 HP, Q4 Ibrida with 136 HP, Elettrica with 156 HP and Elettrica Veloce with 240 HP. Likewise, three packs complete the offer: Techno, for the best safety, technology and functionality specifications; Premium, for the best in comfort and exclusivity; and Sport, which by definition offers the best racing-inspired components such as Sabelt seats, Alcantara upholstery and distinctive exterior elements.
