Famed Italian automaker Alfa Romeo has thrown its hat into the ring with its first SUV in over a century of history. Called Stelvio, it was developed in conjunction with the Giulia sedan.
Once purely known for sports cars, sedans and coupes, the Stelvio looks to compete with high-end and sporty SUVs such as the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Jaguar F-Pace, Maserati Levante, Mercedes-Benz GLC, and Porsche Macan.
The Stelvio helps to round-out the Alfa lineup, adding to the newly introduced Giulia sedan and 4C sports car.
Three trims will be available: base, Ti, and Quadrifoglio.
The standard powertrain is a 280-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo. The top Quadrifoglio model gets an all-aluminum 505-hp, 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. Both engines are matched to an eight-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is standard.
Alfa says the Quadrifoglio will zip from 0 to 60 mph in 3.9 seconds and comes with adjustable driving modes: Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficiency (energy-saving mode), and Race.
Inside, you'll find bolstered Alcantara seats, colorful double stitching adding to the sporty ambience and expected sporty details such as carbon fiber surfaces and a flat-bottomed steering wheel—complete with a red "start" button.
The infotainment system takes a page from BMW's iDrive with a center controller interfacing with a screen for audio, phone, navigation, and other vitals.
The Stelvio goes on sale in summer 2017. Pricing was not announced.
