Different name mulled for Alfa Romeo’s incoming flagship SUV

Alfa Romeo’s much speculated flagship SUV, rumoured at one point to be called Costello, is expected to adopt a different name when it goes on-sale in 2027.

It’s unveiling set to follow that of the next generation Giulia and Stelvio around the same time, the newcomer will be one of the first models to ride on parent company Stellantis’ STLA large platform developed specially for electric vehicles as per the brand’s move towards becoming wholly EV in said year.

Visconti?

First mentioned in 2018, as part of Alfa Romeo’s then future model roll-out, which subsequently got cancelled following Fiat-Chrysler Automobile (FCA) merger with the PSA Group to create Stellantis 12 months later, the Costello was supposed to reference a mountain pass similar to the Tonale and Stelvio, in this case, the Passo di Castello located in the Italian Alps on the border with Switzerland.

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According to the latest claim by Australia’s carsales.com.au citing a report from Italian media, the newcomer will reportedly be called Visconti in likely but unconfirmed reference to not only the Visconti Green colour option available on the Giulia, Stelvio and Tonale, but also luxury goods maker and film director, Luchino Visconti di Modrone, who hailed from Alfa Romeo’s hometown of Milan.

Seven-seats

Brought back to realisation following the mentioned PSA and FCA amalgamation, reports at the same stated that the Costello/ Visconti would measure around 4.9 m long and provide seating for seven similar to its intended rivals, the BMW X7, Audi Q7, Mercedes-Benz GLS and the eventual replacement for the Volvo XC90, the all-electric EX90.

“Since [Alfa Romeo is the] global premium brand of Stellantis, and because everyone in the world knows our brand, I want to market a high-end SUV,” a translated version of Alfa Romeo’s CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato’s interview with autoweek.nl last year about the newcomer read.

There is room

In a related statement to carsales.com.au, Stellantis’ Product Manager for Medium and Large Vehicles, Rick Crichton, remarked that a flagship model above the Stelvio could become a viable prospect given that “substantial volumes” is indeed present in the large luxury SUV segment.

Crichton didn’t disclose any additional details about the newcomer though, saying “people can continue to speculate and yeah, we love it because it continues to build hype and excitement. And if and when we get something in the future, we’ll be really excited to share it”.

The move to full electric motivation, plus the mentioning of the STLA large architecture, will translate to a range of 800 km and battery size from 101-kWh to 118-kWh.

An eventual line-up of four

Once out, the Costello/ Visconti will complete Alfa Romeo’s line-up above the Tonale and Stelvio, as well as the now unnamed new small model due next year based on the same platform as the Jeep Avenger.

Despite its debut still being some years off, don’t be surprised if more rumours and speculation emerge over the coming months and years.

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