Can Alfa Romeo be great again? What the legendary brand must do to compete with Tesla in Italy | Opinion

Tonale's new small SUV is our first look at Alfa Romeo's future, but is it a step in the wrong direction?

Alfa Romeo's first major move since moving under the Stellantis umbrella was the belated launch of Tonale last week. The arrival of this small SUV brings the Italian brand's lineup to three offerings, alongside the mid-sized Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV.

The Tonale looks stylish and brings electrification to the storied brand in preparation for a massive transition in the coming years, but that's unlikely to spook the boards of BMW or Mercedes-Benz.

This will sound like a strange concept to some of you - why should BMW and Mercedes bother with a relatively small brand like Alfa Romeo, which has spent the better part of the last two decades selling a pair of dressed-up Fiat hatchbacks?

Well, that's because for decades, Alfa Romeo has been the Italian answer to BMW, a company that has been producing technically innovative and dynamic premium cars. The only problem is that it's been about forty years since those "good old days" for Alfa Romeo.

So how does Alfa Romeo rediscover its magic and become a great brand again? The answer is probably not in the compact SUV mindset. The Tonale looks beautiful, but if BMW's lineup consisted of the 3 Series, X3 and X1, it's fair to say it wouldn't be the luxury car it is today.

The problem for Alfa Romeo is that at this stage of its evolution it is too difficult (and too expensive) to match BMW, Benz and Audi models. As such, Alfa Romeo CEO Jean-Philippe Impartaro, who installed the Stellantis, must think outside the box and come up with a strategy that will once again make it an attractive proposition in the crowded luxury car space.

Luckily, I have a few ideas, Jean-Philippe.

It has already announced that the brand will launch its first all-electric model in 2024, with an all-electric lineup by the end of the decade. What worries me is that these new EV models won't be attractive cars, not contrary to Audi, BMW and Mercedes' own plans to release a wide range of EVs, many of which are already here.

That is why Impartaro and his team must be brave and do something radically new and stop trying to compete with the German "Big Three". Instead, a better target would be Tesla, a smaller, more boutique brand with a loyal and passionate following (what Alfa Romeo used to have).

Impartaro even hinted at such a plan at the launch of Tonale, saying he would like to bring back a convertible model in the spirit of the iconic Duetto. He also talked about resurrecting the GTV nameplate, which shouldn't be hard (as long as it's on a decent car).

With Alfa Romeo now just one cog in the larger Stellantis machine, bigger brands (foreign ones at least) like Peugeot, Opel and Jeep will have to focus on volume while the Italian brand is channeling its energies into building amazing cars that go back to its glory. days.

And what about the all-electric GTV trio and Duetto sports coupe and convertible with a supercar hero like the larger, improved battery-powered version of the 4C? Given the flexibility of EV platforms, you could probably build all three on a fairly similar architecture and use the same powertrain technology.

Of course, along with these models, models such as Tonale, Giulia and Stelvio (especially their electric car replacements) should appear. This would give Alfa Romeo a lineup capable of competing with the Tesla Model 3, Model Y, Model X and (eventually) Roadster, but with a cache that comes from being a much older brand and part of a car conglomerate.

Is what I suggest the most profitable plan in the short term? No, but it's a long-term vision and it should be important for a brand that is 111 years old but has struggled for the past four decades.

Whatever Alfa Romeo does under Stellaantis, it must be a clear plan that, unlike the past few grandiose ideas, actually comes to fruition. Otherwise, this once great brand will face an uncertain future.