UPDATE! Since this article was published, Alfa Romeo made a u-turn on the name of the car. It's no longer called the Milano. It's now the Junior. Read our full story on why the name was changed here.
Alfa Romeo is expanding its model range with a new compact crossover called Milano, which will be sold in hybrid and a fully electric guises. The Milano is the third SUV-styled model in the Alfa range, slotting in beneath the Tonale and Stelvio. Measuring 4.17 metres in length and 1.78 metres in width, the Milano stands 1.5 metres tall and, despite its compact dimensions, serves up what appears to be a practical interior with a claimed best-in-class boot capacity of 400 litres in the electric model. A smaller storage compartment under the bonnet includes a 'cable organiser' to keep charging cables neat and tidy.
Stylish Italian design
The Alfa Romeo Milano has a striking design that emphasises the company's signature grille, long part of its model history. Different treatments of that grille serve to give the Milano an alternative look depending on the model, either Leggenda and Progresso. Besides the sharp-looking LED daytime running lights, one of the more distinctive aspects of the Milano's design is the 'truncated tail' that takes inspiration from the classic Alfa Romeo Giulia TZ.
The interior stands out with shapely sports seats by Sabelt, high-quality materials and a 10.25-inch digital instrument display set within Alfa's historical 'telescope' design. A second 10.25-inch touchscreen is angled towards the driver and features the latest in-car technology and infotainment. Other design details include air conditioning vents that are in the shape of a quadrifoglio (four-leaf clover). Driver assistance features include 360-degree parking sensors, a 180-degree reversing camera and level 2 autonomous driving that manages lane keeping.
Milano Elettrica with more than 400km of range
The Milano 'Elettrica' is the battery-powered version that uses the same 54kWh pack that features in other Stellantis models, including the Peugeot E-2008 and Jeep Avenger. The WLTP combined driving range is quoted as 410 kilometres - and up to 590 kilometres in the urban cycle. A 100kW peak DC-charging rate means the Milano can charge from 10 to 80 per cent in as little as 30 minutes. Powering the Milano Elettrica is a 156hp electric motor that drives the front wheels. A more powerful 240hp version will also be available, designed to provide a more engaging and sporty drive.
All-wheel-drive hybrid Milano
Sitting alongside the electric version is the Milano 'Ibrida' hybrid model that uses a 1.2-litre three-cylinder petrol engine with a variable-geometry turbocharger and 48-volt mild-hybrid tech. This engine is mated to a six-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox tuned for efficiency. Alfa claims that it can spend as much as half of its driving time in electric mode when in the city and can switch into electric mode at up to 150km/h on the motorway. A Q4 all-wheel-drive variant will also be launched at a later date.
The Alfa Romeo Milano is due to go on sale in Ireland later this year in both electric and hybrid guises, with Irish prices set to be announced closer to the launch date.