"Maybe we've known it all along?": Alfa Romeo closing in on 2024 launch of small electric car SUV to challenge Mercedes EQB and Volvo EX30

Alfa Romeo's long-running social media teaser campaign, hinting at the arrival of its new small SUV, appears to be closing in on an early 2024 reveal.

The famous Italian brand's most recent post on X simply states, “Maybe we've known it all along.” above an animation of various geographic coordinates overlaid on a camouflaged vehicle.

Once deciphered the coordinates point to the brand's museum in Milan, its Balocco proving ground, the Stelvio Pass, and significantly the Brenner Pass which cuts through the Alpine Tyrol from Northern Italy to Innsbruck in the western part of Austria.

Once deciphered the coordinates point to the brand’s museum in Milan, its Balocco proving ground, the Stelvio Pass, and significantly the Brenner Pass.

Given the newcomer's larger Tonale and Stelvio SUV siblings are named after Italian Alpine passes this is a huge clue the compact five-seater will be called Brenner, or the heavily-rumoured 'Brennero'.

The new B-segment (small) crossover is likely to share much of its structural hardware with its Stellantis relatives the Fiat 600 and Jeep Avenger.

It's likely the new electric Alfa will be a more performance-oriented spin-off of the Jeep Avenger.

The Fiat and Jeep are offered in combustion, mild-hybrid and pure electric form with the Mazda CX-3-sized Alfa set to become the famous Italian marque's first Battery Electric Vehicle.

It's worth noting Alfa Romeo has confirmed next-generation versions of its Giulia sedan and Stelvio SUV will be EVs, with a full-size, possibly seven-seat electric SUV said to be in development with a special focus on the critical US market to compete against the likes of the BMW iX and Tesla Model X.