The first SUV in its history, Alfa Romeo sheds more light on the Stelvio ahead of its release.
Resurgent Italian manufacturer Alfa Romeo has today (properly) unveiled its Stelvio SUV in Europe, after its ‘First Edition’ and Quadrifoglio variants were seen at the LA Auto Show last year.
The high-riding Alfa Romeo will be available in European markets in three trim levels. Stelvio, Stelvio Super, and Stelvio Technica variants will be powered by a 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel, both turbocharged and mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission, with power going to all four wheels.
Equipment levels are generous, even in the base ‘Stelvio’ model. Entry-level cars ride on 17-inch alloys, and come with an 8.8-inch Alfa Connect infotainment screen, a rotary drive mode selector, 8-speaker audio system, black fabric seats, Integrated Brake System (IBS), Lane Departure Warning (LDW), and Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB) and pedestrian detection. Parking sensors, rain sensors, cruise control, and an electric tailgate also feature here.
The Stelvio Super takes on interior and exterior embellishments, like 18-inch alloy wheels, a leather-fabric combination for the upholstery (in three colours: black, black & brown, or black & red), and the same colour options for the dash & door panels. The door sills also feature steel inserts in this variant.
The Stelvio Technica is aimed at fleet buyers and company car drivers, with its exclusive pairing with the diesel powerplant. This model gets the 8.8-inch Alfa Connect 3D Navigation system, and bi-Xenon headlights.
Alfa is keen to stress that the Stelvios engines are very advanced, and they are. The 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine manages to put out no less than 208kW and 400Nm. 0-100km/h takes a brief 5.7-seconds, and will keep going before maxing out at 230km/h. Despite this, the Stelvio’s fuel consumption is rated at just 7L/100km on the combined cycle, though that number is optimistic at best.
The other engine in the lineup is a 2.2-litre turbodiesel. With 154kW and 470Nm on tap, the oil burner in the Stelvio is good for 215km/h, with the century sprint dealt with in just 6.6-seconds. Despite its 4.8-litre rated combined fuel consumption, the diesel is likely going to be the volume seller, though we’ve yet to test it for ourselves to see what it’s like to live with.
Being an Alfa Romeo, the Stelvio should offer an exciting experience behind the wheel. The Italian firm is keen to emphasise the perfectly-distributed weight across the two axels, and the standard inclusion of ‘Alfalink’ direct steering technology. The Stelvio, though all-wheel drive, puts its power down through the rear wheels most of the time, making for an agile, smile-inducing experience deserving of a name derived from one of Italy’s highest mountain passes.
Of course, when you’re not hooning it on a twisty road, Alfa’s proprietary ‘D.N.A’ drive mode selector system to dial in the driving experience warranted for the situation. The Stelvio debuts a new third driving mode called ‘Advanced Efficiency,’ which sit alongside ‘Dynamic’ and ‘Natural’ driving modes to make up the DNA system. ‘Natural’ or ‘Advanced Efficiency’ will likely be the setting that most owners will leave their Stelvio SUVs in most of the time, as these two drive modes offer the best pliancy in the suspension (should adaptive dampers be specified), and they allow the engine to react the most naturally in day-to-day situations.
Speaking to the media at an event, Fiat-Chrysler Australia managing director Steve Zanlunghi said that we could expect the Stelvio to make Australian landfall sometime in early 2018, with prices and specifications announced closer to launch. We covered that, and Alfa Romeo’s revised (and raised) sales targets in an earlier report, that you can read here.
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