After the Tonale, it’s time for an even more compact SUV from Alfa Romeo. As an EV, the Alfa Romeo Milano competes with the likes of the Volvo EX30, but you can also just order it with a petrol engine. An Italian jacket is of course standard!
- As an EV with 156 or 240 hp
- Also on petrol with 136 hp.
- Under the skin similar to Avenger, 2008, Ypsilon
We don’t have to pretend that the Alfa Romeo Milano appears on our screen like a bolt of lightning in a clear sky, because we already had itMultiple kerenin the pictureand Alphaannounced the Milanoeven thoughextended to. That’s not surprising, because the Milano is big news for several reasons. For starters, that’s true of any new Alfa Romeo, which isn’t as consistent in presenting successors and other newcomers. In addition, the Milano is a compact SUV (or crossover, if you will) in the B-segment, a wildly popular class in Europe. What’s more, this is the first all-electric Alfa Romeo, but it’s also available with a petrol engine. If we’ve learned anything from the Kia Niro and the Volvo XC40 (/EX40), it’s that this ‘power of choice’ can lead to a lot of success.
Power Trains
What we don’t have to feign is that this Alfa Romeo is unique from top to bottom. It is located on the (e-)CMP platform of the former PSA, with which FCA subsidiary Alfa has been merged under Stellantis. The Tonale presented in 2022 is still a true FCA product, so the Milano is the first Alfa Romeo to share technology with models from Peugeot and Opel, among others. FCA brothers Fiat 600e and Jeep Avenger already preceded the Milano on that road, as did the even more compact Lancia Ypsilon. It is therefore only logical that we encounter well-known technology under the skin. The electric Alfa Milano, like the models mentioned, has a 54 kWh battery pack, coupled to a front-mounted electric motor with 156 hp. As with the Ypsilon, there will also be a second, more powerful option, offering 240 electric horsepower and called ‘Veloce’ at Alfa. In the best-case scenario, the range will be 410 kilometers, fast charging is possible with a maximum of 100 kW. That’s enough, Alfa Romeo says, to charge from 10 to 80 per cent in less than half an hour. A smart route planner should also make it easy to combine long-distance journeys with charging stops, as we see more and more often in navigation systems.
Petrol versions
If you prefer not to charge at all, you can opt for the ‘Milano Ibrida’. Say it out loud and you’ll know what it means: this Milano is a hybrid. It uses the fairly simple, mild-hybrid-leaning 48V system seen in more and more Stellantis products, combining a 136bhp 1.2-litre petrol engine with a variable geometry turbo, a six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and a 21-kW electric motor integrated into it. The Milano with a petrol engine can be ordered not only with front-wheel drive, but also with all-wheel drive later. If we count that variant as a separate powertrain, the total number of drive options including the two electric models comes to four.
Undercarriage
Before you ask any further, a manual gearbox is not one of them. According to the makers, the Alfa Romeo character is honoured during the drive by a specific tuning of suspension and steering developed in Italy, including a mechanical limited-slip differential for the electric Veloce with 240 hp. How does that work out? We’d love to try!
Interior
The interior of the Milano is the expected mix of typical Alfa Romeo elements and pragmatically applied PSA/Stellantis parts. We recognize several buttons, but also the basic structure of the screen from the French models, while the Tonale invariably uses FCA material in these places. Just like in the Tonale, the existing base is topped with a hearty Alfa Romeo sauce. Just look at the round ventilation grilles at the corners, for example, but also at the way in which the digital instruments are apparently housed in two traditional ducts. The infotainment screen is strongly turned towards the driver, symbolizing what Alfa Romeo wants to be: an enthusiast’s brand where the driver is central.
Space
At the same time, the other occupants have been taken into account. The Milano, for example, has a boot capacity of 400 litres. That is considerably more than the 350 litres that we normally find in this segment and also more than the home-grown alternatives, such as the Peugeot (e-)2008 and Opel Mokka. In addition, the Milano has a frunk, or at least a place in the nose to store the charging cable. The Milano is 4.17 meters long, 1.78 meters wide and 1.5 meters high. This makes it shorter, (slightly) wider and lower than a 2008, but longer than a Jeep Avenger.
Design
Design has always played an important role at Alfa Romeo. In that respect, the brand does not have it easy, because the shared basis inevitably brings compromises that were not there at the time of the Giulia and Stelvio. Still, the Milano is completely unique on the outside, even more unique than an Ypsilon compared to a Corsa. The horizontal lighting units, divided into three segments, are familiar from other Alfas, but here they are designed and integrated in a new way. This also applies to the Scudetto grille, whose design-dependent design is at least as striking as its distinctive shape. ‘Leggenda’ brings a very traditional interpretation with graceful Alfa Romeo lettering, ‘Progresso’ shows a modern interpretation of the Alfa Romeo logo as a filling of the grille. Unique for a modern Alfa is that the license plate is again in the middle: the Italians found a place for it under the grille, at the very bottom of the bumper.
Alfa Romeo Milano
The Progresso grille at the top, ‘Leggenda’ at the bottom.
Versions
For the market launch of the Milano, Alfa first pulls out a fully equipped introductory version, the Milano Speciale. After that, there are three versions: the apparently already quite complete Techno, the luxury-oriented Premium and the sportier Sport. Prices are not yet available, but they will undoubtedly follow soon.
