Currently reading: Alfa Romeo SZ to inspire 2026 electric coupe

Design boss hints at the influence of ‘Il Mostro’ in the gestation of the next GTV

A long-awaited replacement for the Alfa Romeo GTV coupé inspired by the iconic Alfa Romeo SZ could arrive as soon as 2026, with the brand’s chief designer confirming design work is continuing behind the scenes.

Although not officially part of Alfa Romeo’s product plan, the GTV could be considered for release in 2026 or 2027 if the firm’s corporate fortunes continue to improve as they have over the past 18 months, design boss Alejandro Mesonero-Romanos hinted to Autocar. By that point, the firm’s model catalogue will be all-electric.

It is not to be confused with the low-volume sports car that’s to be unveiled later in 2023 that takes inspiration from the 1967 Alfa Romeo 33 Stradale - commonly thought of as the Italian firm’s most beautiful model. 

Mesonero-Romanos wouldn’t say whether the car, which might most easily be thought of as a Giulia coupé, is more likely come to market badged as a GTV or perhaps as an Alfetta; but he did hint that he’d been spending a lot of time surveying the unconventional form of the SZ, and has been inspired by it.

“This wasn’t a beautiful car, we all know,” he told Autocar, “but there is a lot we can take from its distinctiveness and independence of spirit when we think about designing a coupé for the electric age. I loved its wedge profile, its square tail, and the way the dark glasshouse just bubbles out of this great mass of body. It’s a brutal design, but such a special, impactful one - and we need to emulate it if we can.”

Alfa Romeo SZ front tracking

That task won’t be easy using Alfa’s next-generation skateboard EV platform, which lends itself towards higher-profile bodies, long wheelbases and slightly inelegant proportions. “It’s often said that EV technology is freeing for designers because there are no rules, no restrictions. The truth is, we have even more restrictions and challenges with skateboard platforms than we did with ICE ones,” said Mesonero-Romanos.

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“There are ways we can offset the extra height that an underfloor battery adds to a car as Porsche did with the Taycan’s ‘foot-garage’ [battery cutouts], but we have to fight for every few millimetres when it comes to roofline height and hip point – and that’s what we’re doing. Some fights we win; others, the engineers win. But we have to be prepared to fight for every car.”

Matt Saunders

Matt Saunders Autocar
Title: Road test editor

As Autocar’s chief car tester and reviewer, it’s Matt’s job to ensure the quality, objectivity, relevance and rigour of the entirety of Autocar’s reviews output, as well contributing a great many detailed road tests, group tests and drive reviews himself.

Matt has been an Autocar staffer since the autumn of 2003, and has been lucky enough to work alongside some of the magazine’s best-known writers and contributors over that time. He served as staff writer, features editor, assistant editor and digital editor, before joining the road test desk in 2011.

Since then he’s driven, measured, lap-timed, figured, and reported on cars as varied as the Bugatti Veyron, Rolls-Royce PhantomTesla RoadsterAriel Hipercar, Tata Nano, McLaren SennaRenault Twizy and Toyota Mirai. Among his wider personal highlights of the job have been covering Sebastien Loeb’s record-breaking run at Pikes Peak in 2013; doing 190mph on derestricted German autobahn in a Brabus Rocket; and driving McLaren’s legendary ‘XP5’ F1 prototype. His own car is a trusty Mazda CX-5.

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tuga 4 July 2023
They'll probably just end up making a "coupe" SUV instead.

If you look at their product plan, you have a B-SUV in '24, new Giulia in '25, new Stelvio SUV in '26, and a new E-segment crossover/SUV in '27/'28. No room for fun, be it GTVs, SZs or Spiders.

They do have a coupe coming, but it's going to be one of those "collectors only, so expensive you could never afford one, and even if you could we wouldn't sell it to you 'cos it's already sold out" type of cars.

Anton motorhead 4 July 2023
You are absolutely right and your predictions give me chills. An Alfa Tonale coupe like ID5. Good grief! Remember the good old days when we had the choose of relatively affordable cars like MX-5, Fiat Barchetta, MG F, Alfa Spider, Z3, Toyota MR2, Honda S2000, MB SLK, Lotus Elise? Only the MX-5 has survived as an affordable sportsbar. Thanks a lot Mazda we owe you....
Anton motorhead 3 July 2023
Maybe Mesonaro-Romano and Stellantis meant the inspiration from the SZ applied to the new possible/could be GTV relates to price only. If I remember right, the SZ was priced close to 911s and I fear any new GTV will be equally expensive. Looking at the rendition of the new GTV it looks more inspired by the FWD GTV than by the SZ. And hard work to get a low roof and a low hipline?? Look at Tesla 3 and S, the Nio ET5 + others and see how it can be done. Bring on a new pretty GTV and Spider with sensible power (far from that ridiculous 600-999 hp) at sell it at an affordable price and the public and fans in particular will be back.
ianp55 3 July 2023

Is iconic the most misused word in the English dictionary? Never thought that this word could be applied to the Alfa SZ,all it was a trawl through the company's parts bin and assembled around an ungainly plastic body designed by Zagato who assembled it in their own factory. Just over a thousand SZ's were produced Later the convertible RZ was built which sold even less,why Stellantis is considering building  an EV using this as a design insperation is beyond me thirty years later the SZ still looks hideous and should be best forgotten

giulivo 3 July 2023
ianp55 wrote:

Is iconic the most misused word in the English dictionary? Never thought that this word could be applied to the Alfa SZ,all it was a trawl through the company's parts bin and assembled around an ungainly plastic body designed by Zagato who assembled it in their own factory. Just over a thousand SZ's were produced Later the convertible RZ was built which sold even less,why Stellantis is considering building  an EV using this as a design insperation is beyond me thirty years later the SZ still looks hideous and should be best forgotten

(1) it was not designed by Zagato, although Zagato were involved in the manufacturing

(2) Having driven it on track, it looks much better in the metal (or rather plastic) than in pictures. It would look even better with modern, big, low profile wheels (same can be said of the 75 Turbo Evoluzione)

(3) It is certainly a very iconic car, since despite the modest headline figures and lack of electronics (not even ABS), it has (a) the final evolution of its chassis, directly from the IMSA 75 turbo; (b) the final evolution of the 12 valve Busso.

And I think it looks way, way better today than it did when it was released. It was, design-wise, ahead of its time.

Andrew1 3 July 2023
Alfa SZ is iconic. Haters will hate anyway.
shiftright 3 July 2023

It's iconic becaue it looks like nothing else, to the point that it even was featured in a few Japanese Manga. When the company's parts bin is as good as it was back then, there's nothing wrong with mixing the best and fine tuning it. Alfa Romeo is hardly the first and oly company to do this. It was also universally praised for the driving experience it delivered.

tuga 4 July 2023
ianp55 wrote:

Is iconic the most misused word in the English dictionary?

Nowadays? Yes.

You're dead wrong about the rest though.