Alfa Romeo unveils its first SUV - in Quadrifoglio guise

USPA NEWS - "Meccanica delle emozioni" in a SUV with striking design, performance and technology, which encapsulates the authentic Alfa Romeo spirit. A name that conjures up legendary achievements on Italy's highest mountain pass. Italian styling, expressing proportion, simplicity and high-quality surfacing

The latest Alfa Romeo creation makes its début today in all dealers in the world, in Quadrifoglio guise: launched under the name Stelvio, it is the brand's first SUV in over a century of history. Set to become the benchmark for the segment, the new model encapsulates the authentic Alfa Romeo spirit, incorporating the five ingredients that make it one of the world's most desirable brands on the automotive stage: distinctly Italian styling; innovative, state-of-the-art engines; impeccable weight distribution; unique technical solutions; and an outstanding power-to-weight ratio. Developed in 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 stunning Giulia, which launched the brand into a new era in 2015, with its revolutionary styling, sports handling and technology. The same ingredients, tailored to a new class of car, are now back, in the ground-breaking Stelvio SUV, which offers pure-bred Alfa Romeo sports styling, top-class performance and technical and technological equipment levels without equal in the premium small SUV segment.

Starting with its name, Alfa Romeo's new SUV is guaranteed to deliver an exhilarating driving experience, set to astonish even the most discerning and accomplished drivers. The Stelvio pass is the highest mountain pass in Italy (and the second highest in Europe), and the 20 km road that crosses it boasts over 75 bends, breath-taking views and a dizzyingly quick rise in altitude, all the way up to 2,758 metres. Over the years, champions of cycling and motorsport have done battle here, making the route a fully fledged sporting legend. An important transport artery in the war years of the last century, this winding road has now become a major tourist attraction. To enjoy it as it is meant to be enjoyed and squeeze every last drop of pleasure out of this unique experience - by oneself or in the company of friends and family - there is only one SUV capable of offering an unrivalled combination of driving pleasure, Italian styling and versatility: that is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Stunning Alfa Romeo styling and clean contours The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a perfect blend of heritage, speed and beauty; and its magical alchemy forms an integral part of the brand's history, dating back over a century. Achieving this mix, now as in the past, takes a talent for combining the three special ingredients of Italian design: proportion, simplicity and top-quality surfacing. These same ingredients spawned the Giulia - the new Alfa Romeo benchmark and precursor of the brand's future - and have been comprehensively reworked to adapt them to the altogether different volume of a Sports Utility Vehicle.

The Stelvio's proportions, in particular, express strength, dynamism and compactness, as witness its modest length of 468 cm, height of 165 cm and width of 216 cm. The side view confirms this impression, with an outline that suggests a compact car, starting at the front and developing towards the rear, and a cabin that ends on a steeply raked rear hatch, topped with an spoiler for maximum aerodynamic performance - a crucial consideration on a car that packs this much punch. The Alfa Romeo styling also finds expression in the high-quality surfacing, which involves creating rich, harmonious reflections across the volumes. The end-result is a sculptural shape, which on the flanks of the Stelvio, for example, gives rise to stark contrasts bet

The third aspect of Alfa Romeo style is the "simplicity" that masks one of the most complex creative processes in the industry: designing a car. Because styling has the job of concealing the long, complex task of creating the simple, natural lines that highlight the shapely elegance and tasteful sophistication of Italian-made products. And this same approach pervades the entire history of Alfa Romeo design, which has always expressed itself through clean, taut lines. That's why the Stelvio has such a strong identity, built around a few select features, like the cloverleaf front end, which is perhaps the most famous and recognisable hallmark in automotive styling. The front end of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio also embodies a strong hint of power and aggression, thanks chiefly to the specific air vents for the intercoolers and the classic apertures around the shield-shaped grille, combined with "sinewy" surfacing. The back end of the Stelvio is instantly eye-catching too, because of the sporting appearance it gets from its lower portion, characterised by the four exhaust tips, and from the "Kamm tail" styling that gives the car a unique, unmistakeable character, while also paying tribute to Alfa Romeo's history - because this distinctive design also featured on some of its most prestigious performance-oriented models and competition cars. The same sporting inspiration makes another appearance in the Stelvio SUV's clean, uncluttered, interior, which is totally driver-centric, as you can see from the grouping of all the controls on the small, direct steering wheel, designed to suit all driving styles. But that's not all. The driver's position has been forged around the driver, with a diagonal tunnel and slightly undulating dashboard; and it has been "tailored" like a bespoke suit, with painstaking craftsmanship and premium materials: the carbon fibre, wood and fabrics have all been chosen for their visual and tactile appeal and assembled to give a palpable sense of human artistry.

Exhilarating performance from the 510 HP 2.9-litre V6 BiTurbo Petrol Engine State-of-the-art, innovative engines are another hallmark of a genuine Alfa Romeo. That's why the Stelvio Quadrifoglio mounts a unique power plant in terms of both technology and performance: a 510 HP 2.9-litre V6 BiTurbo petrol with 8-speed automatic transmission. Drawing inspiration from Ferrari technologies and technical know-how, the 6-cylinder BiTurbo petrol engine is made entirely of aluminium to reduce the weight of the vehicle, especially over the front axle. What's more, despite its phenomenal torque and horsepower, the 510 HP 2.9-litre BiTurbo Petrol is also incredibly efficient in terms of fuel consumption, thanks to its electronically controlled cylinder deactivation system. And like all Alfa Romeo's next-generation engines, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio's 2.9-litre V6 BiTurbo petrol unit will, of course, deliver that distinctive Alfa Romeo engine note to complement the performance. Lastly, the 8-speed ZF automatic transmission is 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. Depending on the mode you set with the AlfaTM DNA Pro selector, what's more, the auto box optimises fluidity, comfort and ease of driving in all environments, including around town, and further improves fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Steering-column-mounted, aluminium paddle shifters also feature as standard.

As well as this 510 HP unit that's exclusive to the Quadrifoglio guises, Alfa Romeo has confirmed that the other engines in the Stelvio range will include the 280 HP 2.0-litre Turbo petrol with 8-speed automatic transmission. This is an all-aluminium 4-cylinder unit that puts out 280 HP at 5,250 rpm and maximum torque of 400Nm at 2,250 rpm. In addition to the MultiAir electrohydraulic valve actuation system, the distinctive features of this engine include the "2-in-1" turbo system and the 200-bar high-pressure direct injection system, which deliver a particularly quick response to accelerator inputs across the rev range, plus first-class fuel-efficiency.  Innovative, exclusive technical solutions In keeping with Alfa Romeo's technical traditions, electronic assistance must never be intrusive, but merely facilitate the driving experience, which is exhilarating in itself thanks to the passionately and painstakingly designed chassis and suspension system. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio unveiled in Los Angeles confirms this philosophy, because it is structurally unique and engaging, but still offers numerous sophisticated systems to make the driving experience - which is already assured by the car's underlying technical excellence - even more exciting. AlfaTM DNA Pro The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is also equipped with the new Alfa DNA Pro selector, which modifies the car's dynamic response according to which mode the driver selects: Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency (energy-saving mode) and Race (ideal for maximum performance).

Price
Alfa Romeo Stelvio the first Italian SUV in Quadrifoglio guise "FIRST EDITION" is in trade from today and is offered by the FCA to the European public at a price of about 57,000 Euro (approximately 60,000 $). It is possible to have access to financing plan (very best) in the case of exchange of the old motor vehicle used.
The price includes the following accessories in series:
Automatic transmission
Leather Interior
Permanent 4 wheel drive
LED headlamps
Alloy wheels 20"
Satellite Navigator and advanced sound system
Rear Camera and parking sensors
Insurance