Alfa Romeo Stelvio First Edition – standard car shown

In a repeat of the Giulia‘s reveal, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV has been revealed in standard guise two months after the unveiling of the all-singing, all-dancing 510 hp Quadrifoglio model in Los Angeles. Specifically, this is the First Edition, the limited edition variant in which the first units will come in.

As expected, the standard Stelvio loses out on the look-faster bits of the Quadrifoglio, such as the bonnet vents, the side slashes on the front bumper and the massive rear diffuser with quad exhausts; the body mouldings have also been given a black finish to give more of an off-roader vibe.

However, the base car’s stylish design still remains, and includes cues such as the traditional Alfa shield grille, sharp headlights, deeply-sculpted body sides and low-slung roofline. First Edition models get goodies such as spindly 20-inch alloy wheels, painted brake callipers, standard bi-xenon headlights, chrome window frames, privacy glass and door handle courtesy lights.

Inside, it’s pretty much carried over from the Giulia, with a driver-oriented dashboard, a flush-mounted centre display, deep-hooded instruments and a three-spoke flat-bottomed steering wheel with an integrated engine start button.

Here, too, the First Edition receives unique touches and standard equipment, including full-grain leather upholstery over heated, electrically-adjustable seats, real wood inserts, an 8.8-inch high-resolution centre display connected to a Magneti Marelli-developed next-gen three-dimensional navigation system, a seven-inch TFT LCD multi-information display in the instrument cluster and aluminium paddle shifters.

Alfa Romeo has yet to reveal the full range of powertrains, although they will likely include the Giulia’s all-aluminium 2.2 litre four-cylinder turbodiesel with a variable geometry turbocharger, in 150 hp/380 Nm and 180 hp/450 Nm outputs.

However, the First Edition will be powered by a 2.0 litre four-cylinder turbocharged petrol engine, the same one used in the Giulia Veloce. Here, 280 hp at 5,250 rpm and 400 Nm of torque at 2,250 rpm is spat out – this is channeled through an eight-speed ZF automatic transmission to Alfa’s Q4 all-wheel drive.

The Italian all-paw system incorporates an compact and lightweight Alfa-specific active transfer case and front differential, enabling rapid high-torque management – continuously monitoring parameters such as grip to optimise torque distribution. It default to a rear-drive setup, but can send up to 50% of torque to the front wheels if need be, contributing to what Alfa claims is best-in-class control.

Safety, wise, the First Edition comes standard with Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), Lane Departure Warning (LDW) and an electromechanical Integrated Braking System (IBS). Other standard features include a rear camera with dynamic guidelines, front and rear parking sensors, a powered tailgate and automatic high beam.

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