A new Stelvio SUV with a choice of electric and piston powertrains is exactly what Alfa Romeo should be making.

It’s where the centre of gravity of the European premium car market is moving to, after all. A new Giulia saloon is never going to dominate the sales charts, but a halo car to reassure the enthusiasts is no bad thing.

The question is whether Stellantis has the technology to really make a competitive product, particularly in the face of the impressive BMW iX3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC EQ.

The STLA Large platform sounds like a better start than the DS No8’s more economy-focused STLA Medium, at least.

What’s worrying is that the reviews coming out of the US of the Dodge Charger and Jeep Wagoneer S – the first cars on the new platform – have been lukewarm at best.

The Alfas will have 800V, which suggests that they will use an evolved version of the platform from the 400V Dodge and Jeep.

With BMW, Volvo and Mercedes moving to separate (and therefore more optimised) platforms for their electric and piston cars, the 800V upgrade might be too little, too late.

At the same time, Stellantis doesn't seem to have the smooth and efficient petrol engines to make the piston versions truly compelling.

The outgoing Giulia and Stelvio have plenty of admirers, but the new ones will need rational appeal as well as style and verve to attract actual buyers.