Alfa Romeo unveiled its first SUV Stelvio at 2016 Los Angeles Auto Show today. The SUV is named after Italy’s highest mountain pass — Stelvio.
Available in Quadrifoglio guise, the Stelvio is powered by a Ferrari built 2.9-litre V6 biturbo petrol engine, producing 510 hp and 600 Nm of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via ‘Q4’ all-wheel drive system. The Alfa’s Q4 AWD system can transfer as much as 50% of the power to the front wheels when required; in normal conditions, 100% is sent to the rear axle.
There’ll also be a 2.0-litre turbo petrol base variant producing 280 hp at 5,250 rpm and 400 Nm at 2,250 rpm. An 8-speed ZF automatic transmission is standard. Alfa says that the transmission has been specifically calibrated to make gear changes in just 150 milliseconds in Race mode. The transmission also features a lock-up clutch to give the driver a powerful feeling of in-gear acceleration once the gear is engaged.
Developed at Alfa Romeo’s prestigious engineering centre in Modena, in the heart of Italy’s Motor Valley, the Stelvio SUV will be manufactured in the recently overhauled Cassino plant, on a production line dedicated exclusively to the latest Alfa Romeo models including the Giulia.
The Stelvio measures 4,680 mm in length, 2,160 mm in width and 1,650 mm in height. Some of the features include Alfa DNA Pro drive mode selector — Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency (energy-saving mode) and Race (for maximum performance); Torque Vectoring; Alfa’s Integrated Brake System (IBS) which combines stability control with a traditional servo brake; carbon-ceramic discs and Alfa’s Chassis Domain Control (CDC).
The Stelvio cabin also features an 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. The software to make all its systems work is developed in collaboration with Magneti Marelli.
So, as many say, is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio a Ferrari SUV that Ferrari will never build? I find it hard to argue. Nonetheless, this thing is a beauty.
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