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Alfa Romeo to build 1,000bhp BMW M5 rival

An all-electric Alfa Romeo executive saloon will utilise a tri-motor set up from Maserati

Alfa Romeo large electric saloon - front (watermarked)

Alfa Romeo has not made a large saloon car since the 166 went out of production in 2007, but the Italian firm will return to the sector with an all-electric offering in 2027, and it’ll feature a hot Quadrifoglio range-topping version. 

Speaking to Auto Express, Alfa Romeo CEO, Jean-Philippe Imparato revealed the brand would build a large saloon to act as a bigger brother to the forthcoming Giulia EV. “I’m bringing to market in 2027 the E-segment car [executive saloon] that will feed North America, Europe and the Stellantis group, because the E-segment is not common in Stellantis.”

This saloon will have numerous rivals by the time it hits the road, namely the upcoming BMW i5, Audi A6 e-tron and the Mercedes EQE. The Alfa Romeo might have them all beaten in terms of performance, however, with the STLA Large platform from parent company Stellantis allowing for a battery size of up to 118kW. We expect the hot Quadrifoglio model to use a tri-motor set up - similar to the one in the Maserati GranTurismo Folgore. “The Quadrifoglio version will have around 1,000bhp with 800V architecture,” said Imparato. 

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Our exclusive image reveals what we think the new large saloon will look like. Imparato also shed some light on the lower-rung versions, stating “the base model will have 350bhp and the core Veloce around 800bhp. Everything is locked in when it comes to design. We think around 18-minute recharging [for an 80 per cent top-up]. Alfa Romeo will be the first within Stellantis to unveil this new architecture.”

In terms of driving range, the Alfa Romeo boss indicated an estimated 435-mile maximum for the base model. The performance-focused Quadrifoglio will certainly offer a lower figure than this. 

While the new car is a long way from production it's likely that pricing will rival cars such as the EQE, which currently starts from just less than £75,000. However, expect the price point for a large executive saloon to rise in the intervening five years.

The STLA Large platform should also pave the way for a large SUV at some point. Imparato said the saloon should come first, “because when you look at EV you look at range”, suggesting the saloon’s better range will make it a better introduction to the large EV sector than an SUV.  

Now check out our list of the best electric cars to buy right now...

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Senior news reporter

A keen petrol-head, Alastair Crooks has a degree in journalism and worked as a car salesman for a variety of manufacturers before joining Auto Express in Spring 2019 as a Content Editor. Now, as our senior news reporter, his daily duties involve tracking down the latest news and writing reviews.

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