Alfa’s stylish new Stelvio is revealed, and twin-turbo V6 QF has Macan Turbo in sights
OFFICIAL SUV is revealed at LA show, and twin-turbo V6 promises blistering pace
“Alfa claims the Stelvio will be the fastest SUV round the Nürburgring”
Brand’s first-ever SUV unveiled with 503bhp engine and 4WD
Entry models will come with 2WD; on sale in Britain next year
THE long wait for Alfa Romeo’s first ever SUV is over, with the Stelvio being revealed at last week’s Los Angeles Motor Show. It’ll go on sale in the UK next year, priced from around £35,000.
It’s the second model in the brand’s ambitious new product offensive, and it’ll be joined by six other cars for a total of eight new Alfas by the end of the decade.
Following on from the Giulia, it closely borrows some of the design cues set out by that car. But Alfa expects it to significantly outsell the saloon.
The new Stelvio was unveiled in rangetopping Quadrifoglio form at LA. The Giulia-inspired design see key features such as the narrow LED lights, trademark shield grille and gaping air intakes carried over. Body-coloured side skirts with carbon inserts, blistered wheelarches and quad exhausts are unique to the flagship. On the standard Stelvio, this extrovert styling will be toned down. The Alfa comes in at 4,680mm long, 2,160mm wide and 1,650mm tall. That makes it almost identical in length to a Porsche Macan, but significantly wider.
The minimalist, driver-focused cabin uses a mixture of carbon fibre, wood and fabric. An 8.8-inch screen is housed in the centre of the dash and operated via the control wheel on the centre console. It gets the same hooded instrument binnacles and undulating dashboard as the Giulia.
The SUV you see here uses the 503bhp 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 found in Alfa’s hottest saloon. It’ll sprint from 0-62mph in 3.9 seconds with a 177mph top speed, putting it firmly in the sights of the Macan Turbo and Mercedes-amg GLC 63. In fact, bosses claim it’ll be the fastest SUV around Germany’s Nürburgring. The engine is paired with an eight-speed ZF auto box, which Alfa says can change gear in 150 milliseconds in Race mode. Less powerful options will follow the mix of petrols and diesels found in the Giulia.
Similarities with the saloon extend beneath the skin, with the Stelvio underpinned by the same aluminium chassis, made up of double wishbone front suspension and a four-and-a-half link set-up at the rear. Ceramic brakes have also been fitted to help rein in that power.
Alfa’s Q4 four-wheel-drive system and torque vectoring tech has also been fitted to the Quadrifoglio. Under normal driving, it sends 100 per cent of its power to the rear axle, but the system continuously monitors torque split between the front and rear wheels. Alfa’s European boss Fabrizio Curci told us that entry-level cars will be available with two-wheel drive.
The Stelvio will later spawn a larger SUV, based on the Maserati Levante. A smaller Audi Q3 rival is also planned.