Auto Express 1723

“WE’LL admit we’ve had false dawns in the past, but…”. Similar words have been uttered frequently by senior folk in the car business, usually about companies at the start of another false dawn. Alfa Romeo is one brand that has always promised, but never really delivered. Plenty of products have shown signs of brilliance that win life-long fans, but to be really successful you need to be able to sell to the car-buying majority not the faithful minority – or the curious. Stellantis has a number of brands that show promise, Alfa being one (DS and Maserati the others). Yet in my near-30 years writing about cars, there have been numerous ‘this is it’ moments, but I can’t remember any Alfa being the complete package; beautiful (always), great to drive…

@johnmcilroy • Alfa plans new small SUV, built in Poland, to rival Audi Q2 • Work also started on successors to Giulia saloon and Stelvio SUV ALFA ROMEO is about to kick-start its range recovery with the new Tonale – and the firm will build on this with a baby SUV due in 2024, with the company’s boss promising that even this smallest of models will still “drive like an Alfa”. The Italian brand is gearing up to push its Tonale family SUV into showrooms in the second half of 2022, but the management is already turning its focus towards a smaller model that will arrive around 18 months later. Plans for this new car were confirmed in Polish media late last year, when it emerged that the Stellantis plant in…

ALFA’S push to become an all-electric brand by 2027 is likely to result in more rapid model cycles through this decade, the company’s boss has suggested. The Italian brand’s new family SUV, the Tonale, will have its first full year of production in 2023, in both mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid forms. But Alfa CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato confirmed that the plan is to sell only pure-electric cars by 2027, potentially freezing out the combustion engine-based model after just five years in showrooms. “By 2027 we will sell only electric cars, across the range, around the world,” Imparato told us. When asked how that would affect the Tonale, he said, “You can decide to increase the speed of rotation. That’s part of the decision we have to make; it’s a question of…

• Fresh EV sampled in the UK • Rivals Tesla Model Y, Audi Q4 GENESIS launched in Europe last year with a flurry of ‘new’ products – mostly cars it had been selling elsewhere, but that were new to the UK. The brand isn’t new to electric cars either, but this GV60 EV is where the upmarket Korean brand really gathers pace – and we’ve tried a preproduction car on UK roads in £65,405 Sport Plus trim to judge Genesis’ chances of challenging premium EVs such as the Tesla Model Y and the Audi Q4 e-tron. The GV60 is based on the E-GMP platform also used by the impressive Kia EV6 and our reigning Car of the Year, the Hyundai Ioniq 5. So, it packs a 77.4kWh battery within its…

@johnmcilroy • Fresh-faced Kia Niro revealed • Hybrid, PHEV and EV options THE Niro kickstarted Kia’s transformation into a leading EV brand. And now, five years since its debut and after more than 300,000 sales, a new Niro goes on sale this month before deliveries start in August. The new Niro – which will again be available in hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pureelectric versions – is the first Kia to use the latest generation of its mid-sized K platform. The car shown here is the new Niro EV (the name changes from e-Niro). The front looks cleaner, with a central socket for the charger and a frunk offering about 20 litres of storage. The big change really comes at the side, with a much more dramatic look. On the EV…

REVISIONS to the Vauxhall Corsa and Mokka line-ups have been announced for 2022, with a simpler structure revealed. The Corsa – Britain’s best-selling car in 2021 – is now offered in three trim levels instead of four, while the new Mokka range shares the same three-trim structure. Design replaces SE Edition as the entry-level grade for both cars. It’s priced from £17,340 for the Corsa and £22,265 for the Mokka, with the same level of standard equipment as before, including a seven-inch central touchscreen, and cruise control on the Mokka. The Mokka Design is also offered with new engine options. GS Line is the new sporty variant, taking the place of SRi Line, but with some slight modifications. Vauxhall claims a drop in price of £1,000 across the GS Line…