The long-awaited Alfa Romeo SUV has finally been revealed with the unveiling of the Stelvio at the Los Angeles motor show.
The car, the second of eight new Alfa Romeo models to be launched by 2020, is expected on UK sale in 2017, costing from around £35,000.
In terms of its design the Stelvio is clearly closely related to the recently launched Giulia saloon, and Alfa Romeo is clearly heavily promoting the car’s sporting credentials – to the extent of naming it after the renowned Italian mountain pass that with its 48 hairpin bends is considered by many as the ultimate driving road.
The range-topping Quadrifoglio version of the SUV on display in Los Angeles uses the same V6 twin-turbo petrol engine of the Giulia Quadrifoglio. With 510hp on tap, along with 600Nm of torque, the Stelvio boasts a sub four-second 0-62mph time and a 177mph top speed.
Quadrifoglio models will be supplied as standard with an eight-speed auto transmission and the Q4 all-wheel-drive system that in normal use is fully biased to the rear wheels but can spread torque equally between the front and rear.
More mainstream Stelvio models are expected to be rear-wheel drive – no details have been released of likely powertrains but industry sources suggest a new 210hp diesel could be among them.
The Stelvio sits on the same platform as the Giulia and boasts a similar chassis including the double-wishbone front suspension. The interior will also be familiar to drivers of the saloon.
