Alfa Romeo freshens and slims Stelvio line-up

Friday, 18 December 2020

Alfa Romeo has culled the local Stelvio offerings to just two, giving the survivors a mid-life update as a reward.

The entry to the Stelvio range is now the Veloce Carbon, replacing the Stelvio Diesel, Petrol, and Ti variants. Price for the Veloce Carbon starts at $99,990, a fair amount more than the old base $77,990 Diesel or the $94,990 Ti it replaces.

But then, it offers more kit, like sportier carbon fibre-based styling, heated electric sports seats, 20-inch ‘Black Diamond’ wheels, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio system with an 8.8-inch infotainment screen, active cruise control, dual-zone climate, hill descent and a power tailgate.

The new Stelvio Quadrifoglio is so powerful it can rearrange the clouds into a four-leafed clover.

Power is sourced from a familiar 2.0-litre petrol, making 206kW/400Nm. Expect to hit 100kmh in a decent 5.7 seconds.

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Those wanting the best of the best will look to the $144,990 Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which, as before, uses Alfa’s twin-turbo V6 making 375kW/600Nm to hit 100kmh in 3.8 seconds.

It gets forged 20-inch wheels, a dual-mode exhaust, leather and alcantara seats, a special Quadrifoglio steering wheel, panoramic sunroof, active suspension, torque vectoring and drive modes.

The latter spans Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency, each doing what they say on the tin with regard to tweaking the powertrain and chassis behaviour.

“With the arrival of the updated Stelvio range to New Zealand, Alfa Romeo will continue to have a stand out offering in the premium mid-size SUV market,” said Sarah Williams, Marketing Manager of Alfa Romeo New Zealand.

“The Stelvio delivers upgraded technology and safety features, whilst maintaining key style and performance cues true to Alfa Romeo racing heritage.”