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01 Jun 2017

Middle East - Alfa Romeo Stelvio - The Italian Brand's first SUV in over a century of history

The first Alfa Romeo SUV is born, delivering a thrilling driving experience, outstanding performance and sporty style. For the first time in over a century of history, these distinctive features of the genuine Alfa spirit have now come together in a sport utility vehicle. Its name is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and it aims to rewrite the rules in the medium-sized premium SUV segment.

Middle East - Alfa Romeo Stelvio - The Italian Brand's first SUV in over a century of history
  • Exciting handling
  • 100% Alfa Romeo sporty design 
  • Innovative engineering for unbeatable safety
  • Outstanding performance 
  • On-board comfort and wellbeing for driver and passengers 
  • The Cassino plant is the home of the new-generation Alfa Romeo models
The first Alfa Romeo SUV is born, delivering a thrilling driving experience, outstanding performance and sporty style. For the first time in over a century of history, these distinctive features of the genuine Alfa spirit have now come together in a sport utility vehicle. Its name is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and it aims to rewrite the rules in the medium-sized premium SUV segment.
The name itself tells us that this model will provide a thrilling driving experience and still excel in the comfort and versatility typical of its category. The Stelvio is Italy's highest mountain pass - over 20 kilometres long and with more than 75 hairpin bends, it has iconic status. To enjoy it as it is meant to be enjoyed, alone or in the company of friends and family, there is now a SUV capable of offering an unrivalled combination of driving pleasure, Italian styling and versatility - the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
 
EXCITING HANDLING
 
Perfect weight distribution, ultra-lightweight materials and aluminium engines.
Exclusive AlfalinkTM suspension systems and the most direct steering ratio in the segment.
Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel drive for flawless road-holding.
Mechanical self-locking rear differential for maximum traction.
Alfa Romeo cars have always incorporated the combination of lightness and efficiency essential for agility and good handling on any type of road and in all weather conditions. The new Stelvio SUV is no exception, delivering impeccable handling, worthy of a real sports car, proven by balanced weight distribution, a direct steering ratio and state-of-the-art suspension, as well as the lavish use of ultra-lightweight, hi-tech materials including the carbon fibre drive shaft and the introduction of a new generation of aluminium engines.
 
What's more, thanks to the sophisticated Q4 all-wheel drive, Stelvio customers can rely on excellent road-holding even on low-grip terrains. On request, the SUV can also be equipped with a mechanical self-locking rear differential. Taking the wheel of Alfa Romeo Stelvio is the prelude to a thrilling driving experience that makes travelling irresistible, regardless of destination.
Perfect weight distribution
 
One of the primary objectives of the design of the Stelvio SUV was to achieve maximum driving pleasure. One of the factors that contributed to this achievement was definitely the perfect weight distribution between the two axles - a distinctive feature of Alfa Romeo’s construction tradition - which required special management of the weights and materials involved, achieved both by adjusting the car's layout and by placing the heaviest units in the most central position possible. 
Ultra-lightweight materials and aluminium engines
The ideal weight/power ratio is the outcome of ultra-lightweight, hi-tech materials, such as carbon fibre for the drive shaft and aluminium for the engines, suspension systems, hood, wings, doors and tailgate. These elements reduce the SUV's total weight and provide excellent torsional rigidity, a guarantee of quality over time, a quiet ride and exceptional handling even in extreme conditions.
Suspension system with exclusive AlfalinkTM

A new double wishbone suspension with a semi-virtual steering axis optimising the filtering effect and guaranteeing rapid, accurate steering, was developed for the front suspension. This exclusive Alfa Romeo set-up allows Stelvio to tackle high lateral acceleration thanks to its always-perfect footprint. The rear suspension uses a four-and-a-half link system - patented by Alfa Romeo - to deliver extremely precise control of the wheel's characteristic angles, for handling at the top of its class. 
Most direct steering ratio in the segment
Regardless of speed and conditions, the Stelvio SUV always delivers a natural, instinctive drive, thanks also to the most direct steering ratio in its segment (12.0). 
Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel drive
A mountain hairpin, a stony unpaved trail, a snow-covered straight or a bend in the driving rain - all extreme situations and ideal places for putting the new Alfa Romeo's agility and power to the test. 
Above all, the Q4 system delivers all the benefits of all-wheel drive combined with the driving pleasure of a rear-wheel drive. In detail, its architecture includes an active transfer case and front differential designed to meet the specific technical requirements of Alfa Romeo, entailing the rapid-response management of high torque levels, with a compact, lightweight set-up. The Q4 system continuously monitors numerous parameters to optimise torque distribution between the two axles according to what the car is doing and how much grip the road surface offers. In normal grip conditions, the Stelvio with Q4 system acts like a rear-drive vehicle, with 100% of the torque sent to the rear axle. As the wheels approach their grip limit, the system transfers up to 50% of the torque to the front axle. This translates into top-in-class control in terms of traction and directional stability on corners.
Mechanical self-locking rear differential
 
The optional mechanical self-locking rear differential transfers more torque to the wheel with most grip, to optimise traction in any driving conditions.
100% ALFA ROMEO SPORTY DESIGN
Sporty style with stunningly sleek, glamorous lines. 
Elegant interior and luxury materials. 
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a perfect blend of heritage, speed and beauty - its magical alchemy forms an integral part of the brand's history, dating back over a century. Achieving this mix, now as in the past, involves combining the three ingredients of Alfa Romeo design proportion, simplicity and top-quality surface finishing. These ingredients gave us the Giulia - the new Alfa Romeo benchmark and precursor of the brand's future - and have been comprehensively reworked to adapt them to the altogether different volume of a Sports Utility Vehicle. 
Sporty style with stunningly sleek, glamorous lines
 
The Stelvio's proportions - 468 cm long, 167 cm high and 216 cm wide - express strength, dynamism and compactness. The side view confirms this impression, with an outline that suggests a compact car, starting at the front and developing towards the rear, and a cabin that ends on a steeply raked rear hatch, topped with a spoiler for maximum aerodynamic performance - crucial on a car that packs this much punch.
Alfa Romeo styling also finds expression in the high-quality surface finishing, which involves creating rich, harmonious reflections across the volumes. The end-result is a sculptural shape, which on the flanks, for example, gives rise to stark contrasts between the surfaces that catch light and those that remain in the shadow. Basically, the musculature of the car's sides accentuates its front and rear wings.
The third aspect of Alfa Romeo style is the simplicity that masks one of the most complex creative processes in the industry - designing a car. Styling has the job of concealing the long, complex task of creating the simple, natural lines that highlight the shapely elegance and tasteful sophistication of Italian-made products.
This same approach runs through the entire history of Alfa Romeo design, which has always expressed itself through clean, taut lines. That's why the Stelvio has such a strong identity, built around a few select features, like the legendary cloverleaf front end, which is perhaps the most famous and recognisable hallmark in automotive styling. The back end of the Stelvio is instantly eye-catching too, because of the sporting appearance it gets from its lower portion, characterised by the two exhaust tips, and from the Kamm tail styling that gives the car a unique, unmistakeable character, while also paying tribute to Alfa Romeo's history, as this distinctive design also featured on some of its most prestigious performance-oriented models and competition cars.
Elegant interior and luxury materials
The sporty inspiration of the exterior also guided Alfa Romeo stylists, who created an interior with simple, elegant lines that offers the very best in terms of quality, safety, equipment and comfort while keeping in mind the characteristic that comes from deep in the Alfa Romeo psyche - the centrality of the driver. This all-important driver-focus is reflected in clustering of all the controls on the steering-wheel, intentionally small and with a direct ratio to suit all driving styles. What's more, the colour information display cluster supplies the driver with all the essential information needed, while the driver/car interface consists of two rotary controls for easy, immediate use of the Alfa DNA selector and Alfa Connect system. 
Forged around the driver, the interior has a diagonal tunnel and slightly undulating dashboard, and has been tailored like a bespoke suit, with painstaking craftsmanship and premium materials - the aluminium, real wood, leather and fabrics have all been chosen for their visual and tactile appeal and assembled to give a palpable sense of human artistry. Turning to specifics, the Stelvio version conveys its strong sports-car pedigree with the choice of black for the seat fabric, as well as the dashboard, door panels and mats. The Super version offers leather seats available in three colours (black, brown, or red), a perfect combination with the dashboard and door panel options, in black, black/brown or black/red, as chosen by the customer. This version can also be equipped with luxury seats upholstered in choice full grain leather (in black, brown, red or beige) with real wood or aluminium inserts, sill with metal inserts and two different steering wheels: luxury with superior quality leather and sports with specific grip and leather wrapping. 
INNOVATIVE ENGINEERING FOR UNBEATABLE SAFETY
Integrated Brake System for rapid, accurate braking.
Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Brake with pedestrian detection
LDW: Lane Departure Warning
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) with Rear Cross-Path Detection. 
Active Cruise Control (ACC).
In keeping with Alfa Romeo's technical traditions, electronic assistance must never be intrusive, but merely facilitate the driving experience, which is exhilarating in itself thanks to the perfectly designed chassis and suspension system. The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV keeps faith with this philosophy - it is structurally unique and exciting, but still features a large number of sophisticated safety systems, available as standard or options depending on the version.
Integrated Brake System (IBS)
The new Alfa Romeo SUV is the world's first car in its segment to offer the new electromechanical system that combines stability control with a traditional servo brake. With its superlative combination of electronics and mechanics, this system not only cuts weight, gives an excellent driving feel and eliminates all pedal vibration but also guarantees instant brake response, meaning a much shorter braking distance.
Forward Collision Warning and Autonomous Emergency Brake with pedestrian detection
Forward Collision Warning (FCW) uses a radar sensor and a camera incorporated in the front windscreen to detect any obstacles or vehicles in the car's trajectory, warning the driver of the risk of an imminent collision. Should the driver fail to intervene, the Autonomous Emergency Brake (AEB) system automatically brakes to avoid impact or mitigate its consequences. What's more, thanks to the pedestrian detection function, which works by interpreting the radar and camera data, the AEB system can stop the car on its own at speeds up to 65 km/h. 
Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
The system reads the lines on the road surface by means of the video sensor installed on the windscreen, and if the driver strays across the lane boundaries involuntarily or without using indicators, the system delivers immediate audio and visual alerts.
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM) continually monitors the rear blind spots on both sides of the vehicle, by means of two radar devices mounted in the rear wings. In potential risk situations, lights on the wing mirrors alert the driver to obstacles on either side of the vehicle. 
Rear Cross-Path Detection
The system checks the area behind the car when reversing, and warns of other vehicles approaching perpendicular to the car at speeds below about 35 km/h.
Active Cruise Control
Active Cruise Control (ACC) constantly monitors the gap in relation to the vehicle in front and reduces the car's speed if it falls below the safety threshold. When the road ahead is clear again, active cruise control automatically returns the car to the pre-set cruising speed.
OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE
State-of-the-art 280 hp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine 
Automatic 8-speed transmission specifically calibrated for smooth gear shifts
2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine
The new 280 hp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine is a 4-cylinder unit built entirely in aluminium with a carbon drive shaft, combined with an 8-speed automatic transmission and Q4 all-wheel drive. In addition to MultiAir electro-hydraulic valve actuation, the distinctive features of this engine include "2-in-1" turbo and 200-bar high-pressure direct injection, which pair up to deliver particularly snappy accelerator response across the rev range in addition to first-class fuel-efficiency.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s 280 hp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, with peak torque of 400Nm at 2,250 rpm, is best in class in terms of acceleration, powering it from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds. Top speed is 230 km/h. 
Automatic 8-speed transmission
 
The Stelvio’s engine is teamed with an 8-speed automatic transmission specifically calibrated for fast, smooth gear shifts. The transmission has a lock-up clutch to give the driver a powerful feeling of in-gear acceleration once the gear is engaged. Depending on the mode chosen with the Alfa DNA selector, the automatic transmission optimises fluidity, comfort and ease of driving in all environments, including around town, and further improves fuel economy and CO2 emissions. Steering-column-mounted, aluminium paddle shifters are available.
ON-BOARD COMFORT AND WELL BEING FOR DRIVER AND PASSENGERS
Complete mastery of the road thanks to the high driving position.
High quality, real materials for a luxurious, comfortable interior.
Connect 3D Nav 8.8”, the highest Infotainment level. 
Alfa Romeo DNA with new Advanced Efficiency mode.
Excellent load capacity and electric tailgate with adjustable opening. 
Outstanding quality audio systems for an exciting sound experience.
 
Alfa Romeo Stelvio gives the driver a feeling of complete control and mastery of the road, thanks also to the high driving position and the new Alfa DNA selector. What's more, the new model brings the secrets of Italian hospitality into the world of the medium-sized premium SUV - its interior and equipment set out to re-create the atmosphere of an exclusive, tasteful, elegant luxury lounge. This is clearly demonstrated by the interiors with their wonderful colour combinations and quality of materials, not to mention the excellent on-board comfort delivered by the dual zone climate control and sophisticated Alfa Connect infotainment system. But no hospitality is complete without the pleasure of music, so Stelvio has a sophisticated audio system - with subwoofer in some cases - for a genuine concert-hall experience, with a sound that embraces all occupants.
The Stelvio SUV is tailored in all respects to embody Italian verve, comfort and taste. 
Complete mastery of the road thanks to the high driving position
Alfa Romeo Stelvio is designed and built with the drivers wishes and new needs clearly in mind. The driving position is state-of-the-art - the high seat gives mastery of the road, without the slightest reduction in the driving pleasure expected of a genuine Alfa Romeo sports car. This feeling of total control is reinforced by the large windows and the wraparound seats give an even more sporty driving experience. 
High quality, genuine materials for a luxurious interior
In the interior, the colours and materials have been carefully selected together. Premium materials such as aluminium, real wood and leather have been chosen for their visual and tactile appeal and assembled to give a palpable sense of human artistry. Thus, Alfa Romeo reasserts its tradition of finely crafted interiors, while using these new, original material and colour combinations to underline the distinctive role of elegant colour schemes in its products. 
Alfa Connect 3D Nav 8.8”, the highest Infotainment level
Alfa Romeo Stelvio is equipped with the ground-breaking Alfa Connect system - developed in partnership with Magneti Marelli - with a sophisticated set of features and functions, especially the latest-generation HMI interface, with the system controlled from the Rotary Pad and the 8.8”, high-resolution display incorporated in the dashboard design. In addition, thanks to optical bonding technology, the user benefits from an excellent level of visualisation and readability on the display. With a leading-edge voice recognition system, the device allows full connectivity with all mobile devices (cell phones, smartphone and tablet computers with Apple iOS and Android operating systems). 
The new Alfa Romeo SUV's latest-generation infotainment system not only controls the digital radio and hi-fi digital audio but also includes a Bluetooth system for hands-free telephony and for playing audio contents from USB devices and smartphones.
The entire range comes with Alfa Connect 3D Nav 8.8” as standard, supplying navigation with high-resolution 3D maps and high-speed route calculation (which is also available without a GPS signal thanks to Dead Reckoning technology) and functions including TomTom map updation from the USB port, driving style information display and indication of the current Alfa DNA mode selection.
Alfa DNA
 
Alfa Romeo Stelvio features the new Alfa DNA selector, which modifies the car's dynamic behaviour as selected by the driver: Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency (new energy-saving mode). Specifically, Dynamic mode accentuates performance and reactive handling. The steering response is more precise, braking is more immediate and the electronic control systems do not interfere with the pleasure of sports-style driving. Natural mode is ideal for urban and motorway contexts. Handling is tailored for comfort and fuel economy. Finally, the new Advanced Efficiency maximises energy savings and minimises emissions levels.
Excellent load capacity and electric tailgate with adjustable opening

As well as a thrilling driving experience, Alfa Romeo Stelvio guarantees the very best in terms of the comfort and versatility typical of this category. For example, the 525-litre trunk is in line with the best competitors and has a convenient electric tailgate that can be configured - directly from the Alfa Rotary selector - with eight different setup levels, for optimal boot access. The interior also has plenty of room for passengers to enjoy and share the pleasure of travelling. 
Audio systems of outstanding quality for an exciting sound experience
The entire range is equipped with a sophisticated eight speaker audio system (4 woofers and 4 tweeters) as standard. In addition, a further two systems are available on request - the first has 10 speakers (4 woofers, 4 tweeters, a mid-range and a subwoofer in the boot), while the second, produced by Harman Kardon, has 14 speakers (4 woofers, 4 tweeters, 5 mid-ranges and a subwoofer).
THE CASSINO PLANT IS THE HOME OF THE NEW-GENERATION ALFA ROMEO MODELS
The recently renovated plant in Cassino is equipped with leading-edge technologies for the production of premium cars, safeguarding its workforce and protecting the environment
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is manufactured at the FCA plant in Cassino (Frosinone, Italy). Constructed in 1972 near the historic Benedictine abbey, the plant has produced over 7.3 million cars to date and been expanded to occupy a site of two million square metres, including 530,000 square metres of covered area. The plant has a production capacity of approximately 1,000 cars a day and employs around 4,300 people.
Renovated for the production launch of the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the plant is a shining example of FCA's global automotive manufacturing expertise, where people, technologies and the environment combine in harmony to build two cars of immense prestige - the Alfa Romeo Giulia and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. It has adopted and aligned all the technologies and best practices of FCA’s other plants worldwide, updating them to build unique products. The plant also continues to manufacture the Giulietta, which embodies the same, authentic Alfa Romeo spirit, expressed through the five factors that make it one of the world's most desirable automotive brands: distinctively Italian design - state-of-the-art engines; perfect weight distribution; unique engineering and an excellent weight/power ratio.
Points of excellence
The work place has been scientifically designed on the Work Place Integration principle: every worker played an active role in the creation of his or her workstation, with the aid of visual simulations. The goals achieved include safeguards for employees' health and quality of work. 
Another factor on which FCA has focused strongly is Change Management, a new way of living and working within the plant. This involved more than 700,000 hours of training and the creation of the new, fundamental role of team leader, a worker who heads a squad of another six colleagues on the production line itself. In addition, World Class Manufacturing principles were applied to design a streamlined production process with a drastic reduction in the risk of human error and wastage of resources in key areas such as material flows, handling and transport of vehicles.
Major investments were made in technology, all intended to achieve the highest quality. The assembly area was created to give staff the very best technical and physical working conditions, while the body shop, equipped with more than 6,100 items of equipment including robots, welding systems and control systems, is highly automated. The crowning glory is the paint shop, the first in the world to use a technology with ultra-low environmental impact, which contains more than 100 robots. A total of 25 external colours are available.
Cassino designated as a World Class Sustainable Plant 
Another of the plant's special characteristics is its prioritisation of the environment, one of the pillars of the renovation. Reflecting this, the site's main avenue has been rechristened “Quadrifoglio Avenue” and lined with installations informing employees and visitors about the measures undertaken to make it a location of excellence, by using the latest occupational health, safety and environmental protection technologies.
The Avenue forms a kind of open-air museum and those who use it can see that the body and assembly shop processes reuse the same water several times, while the new primer booths in the paint department are now water-free, having replaced it with dry filters. A rainwater reservoir is also under construction. The water collected will be treated by natural methods (phyto-purification using special plants) and then used in the industrial process.
“Use, reuse and recycle" is the plant's motto - all processing residues are reused or sent to specialist partners and converted for new uses. Waste has become a resource. As well as minimising energy use through state-of-the-art technologies, the use of LED lamps and heat recovery, the plant only consumes electricity from certified renewable sources. But that's not all - roofing the car park with photovoltaic panels generates electricity. With a panel surface area equivalent to two football pitches, the estimated peak power output is a massive 3 MW.

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