Stelv on the Shelf: Alfa Romeo SUV To Be Called the Stelvio

–

The last time we took to the Stelvio Pass, perhaps the squiggliest paved road known to man, it was behind the wheel of a Lamborghini Nitro tractor. In the future, taking the Stelvio will also mean a going anywhere behind the wheel of an Alfa Romeo.

–

–

That’s the name of Alfa’s forthcoming SUV as confirmed by Auto Express, who reports that Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne revealed the name himself during a plant tour in Italy. Marchionne originally wanted to debut Alfa’s first SUV—which is to share bones with the Giulia sedan—by the middle of this year, but it’s now slated to arrive in early 2017. (The image above is a speculative rendering.) While Marchionne didn’t elaborate on the delay, it could very well be related to the Giulia’s reportedly poor internal crash-test results that have pushed back that model’s launch.

–

Six more new Alfas remain in the offing, although they won’t all come by 2018 as Marchionne had promised in 2014, when he unveiled FCA’s aggressive five-year plan. He’s shooting for 2020 as the year when Alfa will sell 400,000 vehicles annually, at which time there will also be two new compact models, a full-size car, an additional SUV/crossover, and a “specialty” sports-car model to replace the 4C.

–

–

---

–

• –
• Alfa Romeo’s North American Boss, Reid Bigland, Talks About What’s Next

• –

• U.S.-Spec 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia/Giulia Quadrifoglio: “Are You Threatening Me”?

• –

• Alfa Romeo Giulia-Based Wagon and Crossover SUV Rendered

• –

–

---

–

We don’t know the Stelvio’s specifics, but figure that most of the Giulia’s interior design (pictured above) and powertrain specifics will carry over to this higher-riding vehicle. Is a 503-hp Stelvio Quadrifoglio possible? Does Marchionne like turtleneck sweaters?

–
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com/stelv-on-the-shelf-alfa-romeo-suv-to-be-called-the-stelvio/