Key highlights:
- Cuorerosso previews Alfa Romeo’s future electrified design direction
- The 4700mm concept features a four-seat coupe layout
- Future models could combine electric, hybrid and combustion powertrains
Alfa Romeo has unveiled the Cuorerosso, a low-slung, muscular four-door, four-seat (2+2) grand touring coupe, at the 2026 Paris Motor Show, and offers a look at how the Italian brand could design its future electrified cars. The concept won’t enter production, but its styling could influence the next generations of the Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV, whose replacements have yet to be confirmed.
The concept car also signals a change in Alfa Romeo’s electrification strategy, with the brand now planning to accommodate several powertrain types rather than switching exclusively to EVs.
Alfa Romeo Cuorerosso: Not a production car
The Cuorerosso combines the Italian words for “heart” and “red”, and Alfa Romeo says it won’t reach production, ruling out a direct successor to the Brera 2+2 coupe, which launched in Australia in 2006.
Instead, the concept could preview design themes for future versions of the Giulia and Stelvio. However, Alfa Romeo hasn’t officially confirmed either replacement.
The company described the Cuorerosso as “Neither an anticipation of a production model nor a mere exercise in style, but an authentic manifesto destined to inspire future models and to set out how the Biscione [large serpent, as depicted in the badge] brand intends to face the new era of electrification.”
Alfa Romeo previously planned to sell only EVs in Europe, North America and China by 2027, but it has since abandoned that target in favour of a multi-powertrain strategy. The revised approach includes: Fully electric powertrains, plug-in hybrids (PHEVs), full-hybrid powertrains, and mild-hybrid powertrains.
Alfa Romeo, part of the Stellantis automotive group, says it wants to adopt these technologies “without sacrificing the brand’s distinctive values”.
“In this new phase, electrification is not only called upon to perpetuate love for the automobile, but to amplify it based on a new interpretation of performance, design, and engagement,” the company said.
The brand currently sells just one fully electric model globally: the Junior Elettrica, which launched in Australia in July 2025.
Cuorerosso design: Italian style, red and sportiness
The four-seat, wedge-shaped Cuorerosso measures 4700mm long, and that’s slightly longer than both the current Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV. Alfa Romeo based the design around three pillars: Italy, red and sportiness.
| Dimension | Cuorerosso | Giulia | Stelvio |
|---|---|---|---|
| Length | 4700mm | 4643mm | 4687mm |
| Width | 1980mm | 1860mm | 1903mm |
| Wheelbase | 2930mm | 2820mm | 2818mm |
The concept is substantially wider than either current model, and its wheelbase also stretches 110mm beyond the Giulia’s and 112mm beyond the Stelvio’s. Alfa Romeo’s Italian design theme appears in the dramatic proportions and sculpted bodywork.
The car also uses a “Coda Tronca”, or truncated-tail, design and an integrated rear diffuser. Together, these features contribute to a claimed drag coefficient of 0.28.
At the front, the concept reinterprets Alfa Romeo’s traditional “Trilobo” three-part design, and it incorporates the central “Scudetto” shield-shaped grille, flanked by headlights. The shield motif also appears in the shape of the rear windscreen.
Other exterior details include new “telephone dial” forged alloy wheels, Brembo carbon-ceramic brakes, coach doors, and air suspension.
The “red” theme represents passion and performance, highlighted by the Liquid Ink Red paintwork, and the “sportiness” theme reflects Alfa Romeo’s focus on driving dynamics and enjoyment behind the wheel.
Also read: Peugeot RCZ Vision revealed with 373kW and new battery tech
Driver-focused cabin draws on the 33 Stradale
The Cuorerosso’s cabin places the driver at the centre of the experience, as its steering wheel takes a prominent position, while the Quadrifoglio four-leaf clover performance badge reinforces the concept’s sporting intent.
Alfa Romeo drew inspiration for the dashboard from the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale, and the instrumentation presents only the information the company considers essential to the driver.
The concept also introduces a new “Cannocchiale Vivente” instrument display which offers two configurations, allowing the traditional twin-dial layout to merge into a single display.
Alfa Romeo says the technology could develop further through Stellantis’ STLA SmartCockpit platform, which aims to offer greater personalisation. The concept also features steer-by-wire technology, which electronically controls steering inputs rather than relying on a conventional mechanical connection.
Could a future Quadrifoglio use a V6 hybrid?
Although the Cuorerosso explores several possible powertrains, Alfa Romeo has outlined one potential performance configuration, and the company says a future performance model “can be imagined” with the following hardware:
| Specification | Proposed Cuorerosso specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 2.9-litre V6 |
| Electrification | Full-hybrid powertrain |
| Drivetrain | Q4 all-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Torque-converter transmission |
| Driveshaft | Carbon fibre |
This setup would represent an electrified evolution of the twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 found in the flagship Quadrifoglio versions of the Giulia and Stelvio. Those existing performance models already use carbon-fibre driveshafts, but they don’t feature hybrid technology.
Alfa Romeo hasn’t confirmed production plans or performance figures for the proposed hybrid configuration.
More new Alfa Romeo models planned
The Cuorerosso isn’t the only future design direction Alfa Romeo is exploring, and the company has also outlined plans for a new SUV and a smaller hatchback.
Alfa Romeo plans to introduce a new C-segment SUV to succeed the Tonale, with an arrival expected in early 2028, and it hasn’t confirmed whether the new SUV will retain the Tonale name.
The new model will use Stellantis’ STLA Medium architecture, which already underpins the Peugeot 3008 and larger 5008.
The current Tonale is available in Australia with mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but no fully electric option.
Alfa Romeo also plans to launch a new C-segment hatchback before the end of the decade, and it could revive the Giulietta nameplate, which disappeared when production ended in late 2020. The new hatchback would compete with the BMW 1 Series, Audi A3 and Mercedes-Benz A-Class.
The current Giulia and Stelvio models share the Giorgio platform and are scheduled to remain in production until the end of 2027.
An April 2026 report by Autocar suggested their replacements would arrive in 2028, with electric, mild-hybrid and plug-in hybrid powertrains, but neither new model appeared in Alfa Romeo’s product plans announced in May 2026, and the brand has yet to confirm either replacement.
Alfa Romeo’s Australian sales have fallen 28.4% year-to-date to the end of September 2026, with 265 vehicles delivered. The Junior is the brand’s best-selling model locally, ahead of the Giulia, Tonale and Stelvio.
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