Alfa Romeo is definitely not the first automaker to be associated with an SUV, but the craze for manufacturing crossovers is not waiting for anyone and so the result of such a craze is the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
The compact SUV was unveiled on Wednesday at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The new luxury SUV arrives with the styling of the Giulia sedan. It can be inflated for the elevated driving position which the crossover fans truly lust after. And of course, there is a performance option for those customers who have speed in their minds, since it is an Alfa creation that we are talking about.
The design is a result of the gentle evolvement of the Giulia rather than a complete reinvention. The grille is taller with the crease lines getting fuller and higher along the sides which lead to an inclined sloping rear. The outline and lineament look like that of the BMW X5, while the three-quarter rear view seems more like a Porsche Macan.
Under the Hood
Coming to the powerhouse, the Stelvio range takes off with a 4-cylinder, turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. This powertrain generates a power of good 280 HP and a torque of 306 lb-ft. This engine comes as a standard for the Stelvio and Stelvio Ti variants, along with a three-mode driving settings dial and the all-wheel drive.
The most interesting of the Stelvio range is undoubtedly the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which borrows the twin-turbocharged V6 engine with 2.9-liter capacity from the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which produces a heady 505 horsepower and a torque of 443 lb-ft. Though it is bigger than its sister sedan, Alfa Romeo claims that the V6 Stelvio manages to take off from 0 mph to 60 mph in just 3.9 seconds when the DNA PRO 2.0 option is switched to the new 4th “Race” mode, which is available apart from the Dynamic, Natural, and Advanced Efficiency, which is far and away not bad at all for a crossover creation.
While the V6 kicks off a top speed of up to 177 mph, the 4-mill 2.0-liter engine goes up to a top speed of 144 mph. The V6 adds brakes that are made of carbon-ceramic manufactured by Brembo, which help in bringing the freighted crossover to a smooth halt again. There is a torque-vectoring cogwheel on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio along with the native Alfa Active suspension.
The Interiors
The insides of the cabin of the Stelvio have again been hugely inspired by the Giulia. There is a 7-inch display that is placed in between the analog instruments for the driver. There is also a second display, which is 6.5-inches in size and is placed in the center console of the car. While the basic model gets a 6.5-inches display, the more expensive trims get an 8.8-inches display screen. Leather comes as a standard for the seats, with a few lashings of Alcantara being thrown in for the Quadrifoglio. For the people who take the performance seriously, there is an option for Sparco sports seats also.
The Italians are not falling short on their high expectations for the Alfa Romeos. In fact, they are foreseeing that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will probably be the fastest SUV to be racing around on the notorious Nürburgring race track. As a matter of fact, that pace is probably a matter of fractions of a second against the current record holder that belongs to Porsche. But blowing one’s own trumpet is what is important for everyone who is best around here.
There is not much information still about the pricing and when the Alfa Romeo Stelvio variants will be up for grabs apart from the fact that is should be out sometime beyond 2017. The Alfa Romeo certainly does not come in the first wave of performance crossovers, and it will neither be the only SUV to wear a luxury badge. However, the important and interesting question is, are the people who have been interested in the Guilia, willing to convert their likes to get tempted for a slightly larger and a more practical car. Well, got to wait and watch for that!