The expectation of the first crossover in the long history of Alfa Romeo dragged on for "eternal" thirteen years, because the Italians demonstrated the first concept called Kamal to the world community back in March 2003 at the Geneva Bride Show. But at that time the company was "in a fever", and she could not afford to develop a mass car, which is why such a project was shelved.
And now, finally, it happened - on November 16, 2016, at a motor show in Los Angeles, the official presentation of the Stelvio SUV, named after a pass in the eastern Alps, took place.
The design of Alfa Romeo Stelvio can only evoke positive emotions - the car looks beautiful, impressive and very sophisticated. Particularly expressive was the front end of the crossover with a predatory look of lighting technology, a proprietary "triangle" of the radiator grille and a "grin" of the air intakes, although the stern did not disappoint - at the rear, the sports ambitions of the five-door are emphasized by aggressive lights, embossed folds on the fifth door and the exhaust "trunks" systems.
In profile, the "Italian" catches the eye with dynamic outlines with a long hood, complex plastic sidewalls, falling roof contours and large wheel disks.
The outer dimensions of Stelvio put it in the compact category: the SUV's length is 4680 mm, and its width and height are 2160 mm and 1650 mm, respectively. The wheelbase with a length of 2820 mm is "registered" between the axles of the car.
In the cabin, Alfa Romeo Stelvio greets riders with a stylish and effective design with a pronounced "two-story" architecture of the front panel, in the center of which there is an 8.8-inch screen of the multimedia system (in the "base" - 6.5-inch) and an impeccable air conditioning unit.
Sportiness in the interior of the crossover is extolled by a pompous multifunctional steering wheel with a raised rim and an engine start button, as well as a catchy "toolbox" with a vertical zero position of the arrows and a 7-inch display of the on-board computer. The premium status of the five-door is emphasized by high-quality finishing materials and an impeccable level of performance.
The "apartments" of the Italian SUV promise a sufficient supply of vital space for passengers of the first and second rows of seats, and in the front seats there are seats with well-developed sidewalls and electric adjustments. Serious problems with the car and practicality are not expected, however, it has not yet been reported how large the luggage compartment will be.
Specifications. In the North American market, Alfa Romeo Stelvio will be offered with two gasoline power units, the thrust from which is “digested” by an 8-speed “automatic” with paddle shifters:
- In the "base", the crossover is armed with a 2.0-liter inline four-cylinder engine with a turbocharging, direct fuel injection and variable gas distribution phases, producing 280 horsepower at 5250 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 2250-4500 rpm. In this version, the five-door rushes to the "hundred" after 5.4 seconds, and the maximum accelerates to 231 km / h (how much "voracious" it is - is unknown).
- The most capable version of the Quadrifoglio is equipped with a V-shaped 2.9-liter "six" with two turbochargers, direct "power", 32-valve structure and variable valve timing technology, generating 510 "stallions" at 6500 rpm and 600 Nm of maximum potential at 2500 -5500 rpm. The "warmed" off-road vehicle "catapults" up to 100 km / h in 3.9 seconds, and its peak capacity falls on 285 km / h.
In European countries, most likely, the car will be offered in other modifications, under the hood of which both gasoline and diesel units will be placed.
All versions of the "Italian" are equipped with an all-wheel drive transmission Q4, which, under normal conditions, directs the power reserve to the rear wheels, and, depending on the road situation, can transmit up to 50% of the moment to the front axle by means of a multi-plate clutch.
"Top" Quadrifoglio additionally "flaunts" an active rear differential with a pair of multi-plate clutches that serve to control the thrust vector.
The Stelvio uses a Giorgio scaled rear-wheel drive bogie with a longitudinally mounted engine. Aluminum, carbon fiber and composite materials are abundantly used in the construction of the crossover. Front and rear of the car is equipped with independent suspension - "double-lever" and "multi-link", respectively. An electric amplifier with adaptive characteristics is "implanted" into the rack and pinion steering mechanism of the five-door, and all its wheels are equipped with disc brakes (ventilated in the front) with a bunch of electronic "assistants".
The SUV offers the driver four driving modes: Advanced Efficiency, Dynamic, Natural and Race (the latter is provided only for the most powerful version). The arsenal of the 510bhp variant also includes a fully steerable chassis and reinforced suspension, and optionally it can be supplemented with Brembo brakes with carbon-ceramic discs.
Options and prices. Test production of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio has been carried out at the Italian plant in Cassino since the summer of 2016, and by the summer of 2017 it went on sale in the US market at a price of $ 41,995 (this is ~ 2.5 million rubles at the rate at the beginning of 2018) ... But the prospects for its appearance in Russia are still "vague".
Depending on the configuration, the car receives rims with a diameter of 18-21 inches, LED headlights, a multimedia complex, premium Harman / Kardon acoustics with 14 speakers, a zone "climate", Recaro seats, a system for controlling the lane of movement and "blind" zones, a function head-on collision avoidance and much more.
