Johannesburg - Sharing its platform with the rear-wheel drive Giulia sports sedan, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a largely overlooked contender in the midsize premium SUV space.
Which is a pity really because as far as high-riding crossovers go, this is arguably among the most dynamic, which is not something we’d say about its smaller, albeit undeniably attractive, Tonale sibling.
Hoping to gain some more attention, the updated Alfa Romeo Stelvio has just landed in South Africa, and you’ll immediately tell it apart by the sharp gaze of its new “3+3” headlights.
For now its parent company Stellantis SA will only be selling a single version, which comes in the form of the 2.0T Veloce at R1 205 500, but it will be joined later in the year by the Stelvio Q performance model.
Joining a redesigned “Trilobo” grille upfront, the Stelvio’s new Adaptive Matrix LED headlights, with their “3+3” structure, were inspired by the Alfa SZ Zagato of the 1990s, and they also provide a dynamic turn signal as well as a “Welcome and Goodbye” display.
But far more than just for show, the lights also feature “Glare-Free High Beam Segmented Technology” that allows you to drive with your brights on without blinding other cars, which are automatically detected by the system.
At the back end you’ll tell the 2023 model apart by its new taillights encased in transparent glass.
The cabin has become more digitised, as you’d expect with any new facelifted model these days, but thankfully Alfa Romeo doesn’t appear to have gone overboard in that regard.
One thing Alfa drivers have always appreciated are the deep-set instrument cowls in front of the steering wheel, and with the 2023 Stelvio, designers have incorporated a new 12.3-inch TFT digital instrument panel into a traditional-looking telescopic surround.
Doesn’t that just look so much nicer than the bulky rectangular displays we see in other modern cars, which resemble plonked-on TV screens?
What’s more, owners can choose from three layouts: Evolved, Relax and Heritage. Evolved represents the future of Alfa Romeo design, while Relax keeps the details to a minimum and Heritage takes inspiration from the brand’s iconic models of the 1960s and 1970s, with details like inverted numbers at the end of the speedo.
As before power is provided by a 2.0-litre turbopetrol engine that offers 206kW and 400Nm, for a 5.7-second claimed 0-100km/h sprint time.
Unlike its rear-driven sedan sibling, the Stelvio employs Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel drive technology. While it drives the rear wheels only in normal conditions in order to maximise efficiency, the system can direct up to 50% of the torque to the front wheels in under 150 milliseconds, the carmaker claims.
Available immediately at R1 205 500, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce comes with a five-year/100 000km warranty and maintenance plan, and the only option is a sunroof, at R20 000.
IOL Motoring