By Mauricio Lezcano / carsntravel.com / Photos FCA
Expanding Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio lineup beyond the ultra-high-performance Quadrifoglio, Stelvio and Stelvio Ti models further highlight the second of a new generation of vehicles embodying Alfa Romeo’s La meccanica delle emozioni spirit. The full Stelvio lineup brings world-class performance, advanced technologies, seductive Italian style and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium mid-size SUV segment.
Three exhilarating, capable Stelvio models showcase Alfa Romeo’s captivating mix of Italian performance, style and technology.
Crafted by Alfa Romeo artisans at the Cassino plant in Italy, the all-new 2018 Stelvio lineup is a testament to Alfa Romeo’s perfect balance of engineering and emotion, creating a premium mid-size SUV for driving enthusiasts that stands out in one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the U.S.
The true manifestation of Italian performance, craftsmanship and design, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Stelvio Ti models provide a wide-ranging list of standard features, including an all-aluminum, 2.0-liter, direct-injection turbo engine with an eight-speed automatic transmission, delivering a class-leading, standard 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque, class-exclusive carbon fiber driveshaft, dual exhaust with bright tips, 18-inch aluminum wheels, leather seating, backup camera with rear park sensors, power liftgate, Formula One-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel with integrated push button start and much more.
With the most powerful Alfa Romeo production engine ever, Stelvio Quadrifoglio highlights Alfa Romeo’s performance and motorsport pedigree as the halo model in the lineup. The heart and soul of this ultra-high-performance SUV is an all-aluminum, direct-injection 2.9-liter 24-valve twin-turbo intercooled V-6 engine, delivering a best-in-class 505 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque, and a standard Q4 all-wheel-drive system.
The Stelvio Quadrifoglio includes exclusive high-performance and functional exterior design elements, plus unique performance suspension, brakes and wheels. Inside, high performance leather and Alcantara front seats, featuring 12-way power and adjustable thigh support, provide the optimal control center. Additional features include a Quadrifoglio-exclusive leather-wrapped steering wheel with accent stitching and performance contours, leather-wrapped instrument panel with accent stitching and carbon fiber interior trim.
Advanced technology features unique to the Stelvio Quadrifoglio include a four-mode Alfa DNA Pro selector with Race mode, torque vectoring differential, Quadrifoglio-tuned adaptive suspension, Quadrifoglio instrument cluster with 200 miles per hour speedometer and cylinder deactivation system.
Driver-centric capability and performance.
The Stelvio’s intuitive interior is fully committed to the driver’s every need, offering easy access to vital and next level technologies. A Formula One-inspired steering wheel features a thick-rim profile that transmits the chassis’ direct-steering feel and neatly groups the vehicle controls and the engine start button. Behind the steering wheel, the Stelvio features available all-aluminum column-mounted paddle shifters and a standard full-color 7-inch thin film transistor cluster display straddled by two large white-on-black face analog gauges.
Conveniently located in the center console are two simple rotary dials. The first controls Alfa’s DNA Drive Mode system with three unique driver selectable modes, which can be used to fine tune the driving experience by adjusting throttle response, boost pressure and suspension settings in Stelvio and Stelvio Ti. Stelvio Quadrifoglio adds a fourth mode Race with its exclusive DNA Pro Drive Mode system.
The secondary rotary dial controls the high-resolution 6.5-inch, or 8.8-inch, wide-screen infotainment system with real-time vehicle performance pages and telemetry, plus 3-D graphic navigation that recognizes handwritten gestures on the top of the rotary pad, allowing the driver to easily interact with the 3-D Navigation system. With easy access to vital technologies in mind, all Stelvio models will feature Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Italian style, inside and out.
In true Italian fashion, the all-new Stelvio allows owners to customize their performance SUV with up to 13 exterior colors; seven-wheel choices, ranging from 18 inches to 21 inches; and an almost endless selection of interior color and trim choices.
For sophisticated music lovers, the refined Harman Kardon Premium Audio System is offered on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, which delivers detail-rich audio output. The heart of the Sound Theatre system is a 900-watt 12-channel class D amplifier, which distributes clear sound through a system of 14 speakers for superior audio quality. Harman Kardon’s Logic 7 sound technology is used to secure a surround effect from different high-resolution sources and harmoniously uniform stereo playback. With this sound system, occupants can experience the premium quality for which Harman Kardon is renowned.
Summary.
Since its foundation in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo has designed and crafted some of the most stylish and exclusive cars in automotive history. That tradition lives on today as Alfa Romeo continues to take a unique and innovative approach to designing automobiles. With the all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio, where other SUVs stop at utility, Alfa Romeo took on the challenge to create the perfect mix of high performance, capability and design.
The all-new Alfa Romeo Stelvio starts at $43,795.00, the one I drove the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sport included the Driver Assistance Static Package with Front Park Sensors ($800.00), Driver Assistance Dynamic Package ($1,500.00), 8.8 Inch Display with 3D Navigation ($1,550.00), SiriusXM Satellite Radio ($350.00), Harmon Kardon Premium Sound System ($900.00), Dual-Pane Sunroof ($1,300.00), Cold Weather Package (795.00), Convenience Package ($200.00), 20 Inch Sport Aluminum Wheels ($750.00), Metallic Exterior Color ($750.00), Aluminum Interior Trim (N/C), and Gloss Red Calipers with Alfa Romeo Script (N/C), and it came in at $53,585.00 including destination charge ($995.00).
mlezcano@carsntravel.com
