Well this is one way to silence the unbelievers... For anyone uneasy about another iconic sporting brand dragged into the SUV arena, Alfa Romeo's decision to launch its all-new Stelvio crossover in 510hp Quadrifoglio form is a pretty powerful statement of intent. Because whatever you think of the idea of Alfa Romeo going 4x4, the fact it's doing it in such a decidedly performance-oriented fashion has to be of some compensation. And you were wondering why Porsche has just upped the Macan Turbo to
440hp Performance Package
Off the back of the Giulia Alfa Romeo's confidence seems suddenly to have taken a huge step forward, to the point where it's willing to go up against the very best the Germans have to offer. The
Giulia Quadrifoglio
isn't perfect but for it to be considered on a par with the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 on first outing is impressive. If that spirit has been carried through to the Stelvio then it could be the Macan's turn to feel a little under pressure.
Certainly the Maserati Levante - let's consider that the Cayenne rival, and this the Macan competitor - has demonstrated a willingness to go all-in and deliver a surprisingly competitive product from seemingly nowhere. Meaning confidence has to be high the Stelvio will follow the same path.
The Quadrifoglio version of the Stelvio shares the Giulia's 90-degree 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 "inspired by Ferrari technologies and technical know-how" as the press release has it. It's certainly got some firepower, the 510hp a decisive statement of intent when even the most powerful Macan you can buy has 440hp. It's a different engine from the seemingly similar unit in the Levante too, the Maserati unit using a 60-degree configuration and dishing out 430hp and 427lb ft in S trim. Size-wise the Stelvio is a little shorter than the Macan, a little wider and a little taller. The F-Pace would also have to be in its sights but until there's an SVR version of that the Alfa Romeo is head of the class in terms of pure numbers.
"Italian style, inside and out" apparently
And the Q4 chassis technology sounds proper, directing 100 per cent of the power to the rear wheels, torque vectoring achieved via two clutch packs to distribute it across the rear axle in a similar fashion to the rear-drive only Giulia. But as and when the black boxes decide the clutch in the transfer case can send up to 50 per cent of the drive torque to the front axle, an overspeed of up to 2.5 per cent (albeit not specified in which direction) possible to maintain the poise and agility in the corners. Suspension is double wishbone up front with a 'virtual steering axis' and Alfa Romeo's 'four and a half link' rear design, adaptive dampers just one of the parameters adjustable via the DNA Pro selector. Also included is Integrated Brake Control that combines conventional servo operated brake inputs with 'brake by wire' function for stability control; carbon ceramic discs would appear to be part of the package as standard.
Overseeing it all is Alfa Romeo's Chassis Domain Control, which monitors dampers, stability control, Q4 system, steering assistance and various other systems and adjusts the settings according to what the sensors detect.
It's all very impressive sounding on paper, underlining Alfa Romeo's intent to come out punching hard from the outset. For this American reveal there's confirmation as well of a 280hp 2.0-litre four-cylinder version using the same engine as the recently announced Giulia Veloce; this also drives through the eight-speed auto. No mention of diesels at this stage but you can expect such when it goes on sale in Europe. Same goes for actual performance numbers, pricing and other information.
With the covers off the Stelvio and the world in fierce debate - "That is f***ing hideous", one PHer has said - about Alfa's first SUV, further details have been released about the Quadrifoglio flagship.
Sub-four to 60 being claimed...
The most notable of these are the performance claims from Alfa. With 510hp, the fastest Stelvio is said to hit 60mph in 3.9 seconds and 177mph flat out. A Macan Turbo Performance Pack is half a second slower to 62mph...
Interesting additions now detailed include Sparco carbon shell seats, Brembo as supplier of the ceramic brakes and a rear Q2 limited-slip differential. Alfa also states the Stelvio has 50:50 weight distribution, "segment leading torsional rigidity" and the most direct steering ratio in its class too. In an update to previous information, it's now being stated that up to 60 per cent of the torque can reach the front wheels via the Q4 all-wheel drive system.
While a kerbweight hasn't yet been released, the Stelvio uses aluminium in its body and suspension plus a rear cross member with "extensive use of lightweight materials". Given the Maserati Levante has a rather chubby kerbweight, it will be interesting to see where the Stelvio ends up.
Alfa describes this car as the "perfect mix of high performance, capability and design." Could it really be that good? We'll keep you posted!
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