Does the World Really Need a New 2025 Alfa Romeo Giulietta Hatch?

Based on the same platform as the Chrysler 200, Jeep Cherokee, and Dodge Dart, it came out in 2010, and until the automaker pulled the plug on it in December 2020, it is estimated that nearly half a million of them were made at the Piedimonte San Germano factory in Lazio, Italy.

A rival to the likes of the Mercedes A-Class, Audi A3 Sportback, and BMW 1 Series, it was offered with a pair of transmissions, a stick shift, and an automatic, which varied depending on the selected powertrain. The latter family comprised a few straight-four gasoline units and several diesels with as many cylinders. And it was the Quadrifoglio Verde that stood out from a performance standpoint, with its 232 hp (235 ps/173 kW) 1.75-liter turbo'd mill.

Over its ten-year history, the last Giulietta made by Alfa Romeo was given a couple of facelifts, which concluded with the end of production. Sounding the death knell for the Giulietta has left Alfa Romeo without a hatchback in its portfolio. Some might argue that the Tonale (and the Dodge Hornet, its North American sibling) acts as its indirect successors, but these are mere crossovers based on the Jeep Compass, whose sole job is to bring as much money as possible to the carmaker.

Is this really the end of the line for the Alfa Romeo hatchback? Well, not if we were to dissect Jean-Philippe Imparato's short statement about it. The company's chief recently hinted at a possible revival of the Giulietta, which has since sparked countless comments in the online realm, as well as a few renderings. At first glance, most Alfisti would support the idea of such a body style, especially since it would take a swing at the aforementioned models from BMW, Audi, and Mercedes, but does the car world really need it?

Don't get me wrong, I'm against crossovers, and I'd certainly stand behind any traditional passenger car instead, including a minivan, but it seems that Alfa Romeo has a single choice when it comes to the hypothetical revival of the hatchback. You see, it would need to feature an electric powertrain (or perhaps more), as the brand plans to ditch all ICE models from its lineup by 2027. This, combined with the fact that it would have to be based on the STLA Medium platform, makes it less appealing.

But what is this construction, you ask? Well, it's the foundation stone of Peugeot's all-new e-3008, for one, and it is bound to be used by the next Peugeot 308 hatch, Opel/Vauxhall Astra, and the upcoming Lancia Delta. As a result, you can bet everything on the fact that a future Alfa Romeo Giulietta using these nuts and bolts and the inevitable EV power would be anything but exciting. That doesn't mean that it wouldn't be a good daily.

In other words, no gearhead dreams about buying a Volkswagen Golf (unless it's the GTI or the R), even if it is one of the best hatchbacks in the compact segment. Thus, an unexciting next-gen Giulietta wouldn't catch the eye of the petrolhead crowd, especially since it would have to be more expensive than the Peugeot 308 (ahem, premium).

Now, if it is indeed in the pipeline, then maybe Alfa Romeo will find the perfect recipe to make it a dreamy proposal. Stuff in a large battery pack, give it four motors, one on each wheel, and call it the world's first electric mega hatch. Or simply stick to the traditional recipe and give it a serious internal combustion engine, maybe the Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio's twin-turbo V6 made with Ferrari's expertise. Pure rear-wheel drive would make it a great machine, though one can only dream, right?

In a more realistic scenario, Alfa Romeo would say no to the hatchback body style and concentrate its efforts on launching more crossovers, including zero-emission ones, as that's where most of the money is in today's car world. The next Giulia is also said to go electric, and it will be interesting to see what happens to the Tonale (Hornet).

But if you were in charge of the Italian car manufacturer and wouldn't be constrained by the loss of money, would you give the Giulietta another shot? Be it with EV power and FWD to play it safe or with an internal combustion engine. I already told you my plan, which would involve the twin-turbo V6 making well over 500 horsepower to put the Mercedes-AMG A 45 S in its corner. By the way, the A-Class and the AMG variants are said to be axed after 2025.