Alfa Romeo prices Stelvio to compete

THE most significant model in Alfa Romeo’s global brand relaunch will arrive in Australian dealerships on March 20, with its first SUV, the mid-size Stelvio, priced from less than equivalent variants from key German rivals.

Until the Quadrifoglio performance flagship arrives later this year, the Stelvio range will comprise of two variants, dubbed Petrol and Diesel, with the former priced from $65,900 plus on-road costs while the latter attracts a $2000 premium.

Comparatively, the equivalent BMW X3 sDrive20i and xDrive20d cost $66,900 and $69,900 respectively, while the Mercedes-Benz GLC250 4Matic and GLC250d 4Matic check in at $70,611 and $73,200 respectively.

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) Australia president and CEO Steve Zanlunghi stressed that the Stelvio’s sharp pricing was squarely aimed at competing models and prospective customers.

“The Stelvio’s competitive pricing presents a genuine and exciting alternative in its segment, and our model mix provides plenty of opportunity for customers to find a Stelvio that suits their needs,” he said.

Following the launch of the Giulia mid-size sedan in February last year, Alfa Romeo’s 2017 sales increased by 48.7 per cent year-on-year (to 1057 units), with the Stelvio set to drive this growth even further.

According to Mr Zanlunghi, the Stelvio is expected to deliver new customers to the Italian brand.

“The premium mid-size SUV segment in Australia is forecast to grow, and the introduction of the Stelvio now allows us exposure to this opportunity and, with it, further expansion of the brand,” he said.

“Stelvio opens doors to customers that may not have considered our brand in the past due to the family’s lifestyle – the Stelvio has the opportunity to meet this brief while still providing a dynamic driving experience.”

The Petrol variant is motivated by a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 148kW of power at 4500rpm and 330Nm of torque at 1750rpm, while the Diesel variant is propelled by a 2.1-litre unit that develops 154kW at 3750rpm and 470Nm at 1750rpm.

Both powertrains are exclusively paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power and torque to the ground via Alfa Romeo’s rear-biased Q4 all-wheel-drive system.

As a result, the Stelvio Petrol can sprint from standstill to 100km/h in 7.2 seconds, while the Diesel improves on this mark by 0.6s. Both share a top speed of 215km/h.

Claimed fuel consumption on the combined-cycle test is 7.0 litres per 100km for the Petrol and 4.8L/100km for the Diesel, while CO2 emissions have been tested at 161 grams per km and 127g/km respectively.

Standard equipment includes 19-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels, three DNA driving modes (Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency), a power tailgate, keyless entry/start and dusk-sensing bi-Xenon headlights.

Cabin highlights include a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, 8.8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, digital radio, satellite navigation, an eight-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control, full-grain leather upholstery, power front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror and a leather-clad steering wheel with paddle shifters.

Safety and driver-assist technologies extend to autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, hill-descent control, a reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors, tyre pressure monitoring, cruise control and six airbags.

An optional Veloce package ($5000) adds 19-inch sport alloy wheels, aluminium interior trim, aluminium sports pedals, black roof rails, Koni adaptive dampers, heated sports front seats, a heated sports steering wheel and red brake callipers.

Alfa Romeo will sell two Launch Edition specials to commemorate the arrival of the Stelvio, with the Diesel version limited to 200 units while the Petrol will be restricted to 100 examples.

Commanding a $6000 premium over the regular variants, Alfa claims more than $8000 value is added, including the Veloce package, plus a panoramic sunroof, a 14-speaker 900W Harman Kardon sound system and rear privacy glass.

The First Edition variants will be available in five paint colours – Alfa Red, Alfa White, Vulcano Black, Vesuvio Grey and Stromboli Grey – while the regular Stelvios will be offered with six more hues.

As previously reported, Alfa Romeo now operates as a separate division to other FCA Australia brands, allowing it to better position itself as a legitimate contender against other premium brands such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.

Part of this effort includes the establishment of a standalone dealer network that means Alfa Romeo models no longer sit alongside products from other FCA brands.

The Land Rover Discovery Sport (4547 units) was the best-selling model in premium mid-size-SUV segment last year, followed by the Mercedes-Benz GLC (4109), BMW X3 (3671), Lexus NX (3390) and Audi Q5 (3364).

The segment itself was up 4.2 per cent year on year in 2017, with 30,820 vehicles delivered to the end of the year – a steady improvement over the 29,572 units sold in 2016.

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio pricing*

Petrol (a)	$65,900
Diesel (a)	$67,900
First Edition Petrol (a)	$71,900
First Edition Diesel (a)	$73,900

*Excludes on-road costs