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Los Angeles (United States), 16 November 2016
Really believe we didn't want it Yes, but somehow it was yet clear from the very beginning: Alfa Romeo shows at the Los Angeles Auto Show 2016 (18 to 27 November) the first SUV of its history and does so with a real bang. That the Stelvio (the midsize SUV as a tribute to the 2.758 meter high Stelvio bears his name alias Passo dello Stelvio) driving on the California fall show in the international spotlight, was clear. It was less clear that they let him go from the start off with hair-raising 510 PS on the more performance-oriented SUV customers. It is significantly stronger than the currently most powerful Maserati SUV Levante S with 430 HP (I hope this causes no familial errors). Dear Porsche Macans, Jaguar F-paces, Mercedes-AMG GLCs and future BMW X 4 Ms look forward.
No diesel to start?
Yes, the top model Stelvio Quadrifoglio Gets the same "based on Knowhow von Ferrari" 2.9-liter Twin-Turbo V6, driving barbaric in the Giulia sedan guaranteed. There, he ensures a 0-100-km/h time of 3.9 seconds and speed of 307 km/h pure rear-wheel drive. The Stelvio is likely to be not so much harder, but all-wheel drive and always the excellent ZF eight-speed automatic on board. This is already a bit scary. The fact that Alfa Romeo is a 2.0 liter turbo gasoline engine with 280 HP as for the time being only an alternative to the 510-HP madness is rather confusing. The new company cashcow OF future growth drivers without reasonable, economical diesel engine? Yes because spin at Alfa? Mainly because of the 2.2 litre JTD in umpteen versions would be available. One can only speculate that the new Stelvio above all in the United States to make cash (there sausage is as you know completely the diesel) and the diesel in Europe are pushed up as quickly as possible. Alfa confirmed us request that are diesel variants in the pipeline.
Technically a high Giulia
What we know for sure, however, is that Alfas new sport SUV uses the same platform (with the illustrious name of Giorgio) such as the Giulia. The Stelvio already looks like a stelzigere, heckklappigere variant of its sedan sister and also the Interior acts as a one copy of the Giulia cockpit. You can see among others the 8.8-inch Infotainment system, the Smart Start button steering wheel and lots of carbon. Technically, the parallels are also hardly be overlooked. Alfas first SUV receives a suspension four rear axle rear, a very quick steering and electronically controlled, Adaptive dampers with double wishbones front. Ensures transmission how Veloce versions of the Giulia exclusively Alfas can send the front axle Q4 four-wheel drive, which works, if necessary under normal conditions such as a rear-wheel drive but up to 60 percent of the power of the engine. As in the strongest Giulia an electronic torque-vectoring limited slip differential on the rear axle is used also in the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Master of the motivation of the Powertrain, suspension and stability programmes as usual is Alfas driving dynamics control DNA with the modes "Advanced efficiency", "Natural", "Dynamic" and (only in the Quadrifoglio) "Race".
From mid-2017
No matter whether in race mode ESP for smoky drift messy fully adopted or not you see where the journey at the 4.68-meter-long Stelvio tend to go: He is rather Macan as the Q5. As regards the data, remains Alfa still very vague, but the Italians speak of a perfect weight distribution (which would then be 50:50) and an excellent power to weight ratio, that comes together, inter alia through the generous use of aluminum and carbon fiber. As with the Giulia is the Stelvio shaft carbon fiber. Top model Quadrifoglio, you get even a carbon-ceramic braking system on request. Motors, bonnet, tailgate, fenders, doors and large parts of the chassis are made of aluminium. The launch of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is announced for the second quarter of 2017. Prices have not been announced. The Giulia with the 280-Horsepower gasoline engine starts at 38.150 euro, the Giulia Quadrifoglio will cost at least 71.800 euro. Expect a SUV surcharge amounting to a few thousand euros. (black & white)