Alfa Romeo introduces the Stelvio SUV

[mmcartalk]

Guess it had to come sooner or later.....everybody and their brother is coming out with SUVs today. Even slow-selling Alfa is tossing their SUV hat into the ring....though, for that brand, it might be a pretty small ring. Still, compared to the relative handful of sales of other Alfa products in the U.S., the Stelvio should do pretty well...at least by Alfa standards. Though I haven't seen it it person, it (seems) to do a nice job of combining SUV space-efficiency, ground clearance, and AWD traction with classic Italian flair, the Alfa grille, and (presumably) Alfa road manners. The overall shape, though, with the Alfa grille excepted, seems to remind one of the Mazda CX-5.

https://www.alfaromeousa.com/cars/alfa-romeo-stelvio

 

[Gecko]

Going to have to see this one in person... it's "a lot" in pics.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

I like the styling in those pictures, especially the bird-like front end. The back end reads as "BMW" to me, although I can't quite explain why. Will be interested to see one in person.

 

[mmcartalk]

I like the styling in those pictures, especially the bird-like front end.

Agreed. Alfa seems to do "bird" front ends a lot better than Acura and their parrot beaks LOL.

Some old-timers like me, though, might see a similarity of the Alfa grilles to the ill-fated Edsel Citation of the late 1950s.

 

[Ian Schmidt]

Edsel is before my time, but I'm familiar with it. I never thought the styling was that weird compared to other late 50s/early 60s cars. This one if you take away the vertical grille the front end is pretty similar to the lowrider classic '64 Impala.

 

[mmcartalk]

Edsel is before my time, but I'm familiar with it. I never thought the styling was that weird compared to other late 50s/early 60s cars. This one if you take away the vertical grille the front end is pretty similar to the lowrider classic '64 Impala.

Some comparisons to that Edsel grille have been made which are best not mentioned in public LOL.

Actually, if you take away the grille, it probably looks more like a contemporary Plymouth front end and an Olds/Pontiac rear end from the period. In fact, the Edsel, though unsuccessful, was actually designed to compete with GM's mid-priced Buick, Olds and Pontiac and Chrysler's DeSoto and some Dodges/Chryslers.

Anyhow, back to the Stelvio. Hopefully, we'll get to see it at the upcoming Detroit or D.C. auto shows....more likely Detroit, since it is a bigger show, and Alfa hasn't had a display at the D.C. show since the mid-90s, when they last pulled out of the American market. I plan to hit the D.C. show again this year if my weak knee holds out....I'll probably have a knee-replacement soon after the show.