Next April, Alfa Romero will present a new model. It is a compact SUV – smaller than the Tonale and the Stelvio – which will also be available in a 100% electric version. At the moment, little is known about this new car, beyond its significant name, recently announced by the brand. The firm has chosen a name with great historical value: Milano, in honor of its hometown.

Such is the importance that the Italian town has in the history of the brand, that since its founding in 1910, it has been present in some way in the company’s own logo, characterized by the cross, the historical symbol of the Lombard capital, and the Biscione snake, coat of arms of the noble Visconti family. What’s more, until 1972, the name of the city was an integral part of the emblem.

It is not the first time that a brand names one of its cars in homage to its origins. The most recent case is with Hispano Switzerland, whose next version of its Carmen hypercar will be called Sagrera, after the Barcelona neighborhood where it had a factory for years. Likewise, Cupra has chosen the name of two districts of Barcelona, ??Born and Raval, as the name of its models.

With the Alfa Romeo Milano, the brand rejoins the B segment, the largest in Europe. In fact, this model will be the gateway to the firm, as it will be the access car to the range. And the fact is that the catalog, after the disappearance of the Mito (2019) and the Giuletta (2020), lacks alternatives of a more compact size.

The vehicle, whose length will be just over four meters, will be manufactured on the CMP platform, which is also used for other models of the Stellantis group, such as the Peugeot 2008 or the Jeep Avenger, with which it will share some engines. In fact, the Milano is the first milestone in the brand’s transition process towards electromobility: it will become its first car with a 100% electric version.

Later, in 2025, it will launch an exclusively electric model on the market, that is, it will lack versions equipped with a combustion engine (not even plug-in hybrids). The goal is that two years later, in 2027, the entire range of vehicles will be 100% electric.

According to data provided by the brand, in 2023 the brand is registering notable growth. Between January and November, global sales have increased by 34% compared to the same period of the previous year. Europe plays an important role in this data, where it has grown by 53%. The Middle East and Africa is confirmed as the region experiencing the fastest growth, with an increase of 95%.