Alfa Romeo has officially postponed the debut of the next-generation Stelvio, now expected to arrive sometime between 2027 and 2028. For now, exact timing remains uncertain, as the Italian brand has yet to issue an official statement. According to industry rumors, the delay stems from Alfa Romeo’s intention to launch the SUV with hybrid powertrains, in line with Europe’s electrification strategy.
As part of this shift, Alfa Romeo is reportedly working on a redesigned front end for the Stelvio, engineered to improve cooling for the combustion engine integrated within the hybrid system. But what kind of hybrid technology can we expect for the new Stelvio and its sibling, the next Giulia?
Next-Gen Alfa Romeo Stelvio to use hybrid systems from Jeep Cherokee
It won’t be the 1.2-liter mild-hybrid engine with 145 hp already used across several Stellantis SUVs. Early clues come from the recent launch of the new Jeep Cherokee in the United States, a model built on the STLA Large platform, the same architecture that will underpin future iterations of the Stelvio and Giulia, whether hybrid or fully electric.
Thanks to Stellantis’ internal synergies, Alfa Romeo is likely to share technical solutions, particularly in terms of hybrid powertrains and architectures. The full-hybrid system unveiled on the new Cherokee is called EP6.
This setup combines a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with two electric motors, an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, and a 1.08 kWh battery. All-wheel drive is ensured by the Active Drive I system, while total output reaches 213 hp. The powertrain is also compatible with plug-in hybrid technology, paving the way for more powerful variants.
In addition, a more robust 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (GME-T4 Evo), also full-hybrid and plug-in capable, is expected to arrive. Given the flexibility of the STLA Large platform, these new units could easily be adapted to the next Stelvio and Giulia, as well as to other Stellantis models, offering both efficiency gains and high performance. For now, however, enthusiasts can only speculate on final specs, power levels, and configurations until Alfa Romeo provides further details.
