The Alfa Romeo Mito will be canned early next year as the brand makes way for a new era of SUVs and sports cars, Europe boss Roberta Zerbi has confirmed.

In June, Alfa Romeo’s parent company, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, laid out a five-year plan for the Italian maker, which includes two new SUVs, a range-topping 8C sports car and a modern-day GTV, a four- seat coupé. The Mito did not feature in the plans but no more details were given.

Now, Zerbi has confirmed to Autocar that it will be withdrawn from sale by early next year. “Mito is a three-door and people are choosing more and more five-door cars,” she said.

Alfa Romeo brings back GTV and 8C

Zerbi added that previous buyers of the Mito would hopefully migrate into the Giulia or upcoming small SUV, which will sit below the Stelvio in its range.

She said the small SUV was the upcoming model she was most excited about: “This is the one that will allow us to talk to a wider audience, a younger audience of 30- to 40-year-olds.

“It can help fill the gap between the Giulietta and Stelvio. And people that bought a Mito in the last couple of years – people grow up, start having children [and need a bigger car].”

Zerbi confirmed that it won’t look like a smaller Stelvio, in the vein of Audi and its Russian-doll SUV styling, saying it will “look like a family [of cars]”.

She would not confirm when the small SUV will be launched but we expect to see it in the next two years.

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