Alfa Romeo has revealed its first-ever SUV at the LA motor show.
Named Stelvio, after the highest mountain pass in Italy, the new model is set to rival the likes of the Jaguar F-pace and Porsche Macan. Media reports suggest Alfa’s SUV will go on sale in the third quarter of next year, although a UK arrival date has not been officially confirmed at this stage.
Revealed in hot Quadrifoglio form, the show car is powered by the same 510hp 2.9-litre Ferrari-developed petrol engine that features in top-spec Giulia premium saloon models, although Alfa confirmed the SUV’s engine range will also include a 280hp 2.0-litre petrol engine.
Both engines are equipped with the company’s Q4 four-wheel drive system, which monitors various parameters to optimise distribution of power and torque between the front and rear wheels depending on what the car is doing and how much grip it has.
It is expected the first UK-bound models will be powered by a diesel engine, which is likely to be one that already features in the Giulia.
That car, a Jaguar XE rival, comes with a 180hp 2.2-litre diesel unit that emits 109g/km of CO2 and returns 67.3mpg, placing it in the 22% 2016/17 benefit-in-kind tax band.
According to Alfa, the exterior of the Stelvio has been designed with compactness in mind, with the side view suggesting the SUV is smaller than it actually is, the Italian brand said, while the company added the car’s sides are accentuated by the bold front and side wings.
The front of the model features Alfa Romeo’s typical front end, while the rear of the sporty version is defined by four exhaust pipes.
The interior apes that of the Giulia, and Alfa claimed the new SUV is “totally driver-centric” thanks to the controls all being on the steering wheel, while the car’s infotainment system is controlled via a control wheel on the centre console.
