ALFA ROMEO GIULIA INTRIGUING CHOICE AS 2020 LUXURY SEDAN

Introduced as a 2017 model, the Alfa Romeo Giulia gets technology updates for 2020 that make it an even more attractive option for those looking for “something different” in the compact luxury sedan segment.

Its Italian styling and lively handling made it an immediate hit among critics, and now such new features as a new 8.8-inch touchscreen display for infotainment functions and connectivity features like a wi-fi hotspot and SOS call add to its appeal.

The Giulia comes in six flavors starting with the base model and continuing through the top-of-the-line Quadrifoglio trim with its 505-horsepower, twin-turbo V6 engine. The Giulia Ti Sport Carbon trim with all-wheel drive that served as my test vehicle hits a sweet spot around the middle.

The 2020 Giulia Ti Sport Carbon model comes with a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline 4-cylinder engine that is rated a 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque as opposed to the 505 hp, 443 lb.-ft. in the Quadrifoglio’s V6.

Premium fuel is required for both engines with the 4-banger earning EPA ratings of 24 miles-per-gallon city, 33 highway and 27 combined with rear-wheel drive and 23/31/26 with AWD.

With the extra power, the Quadrifoglio much thirstier with figures of 17/25/20.

Zero-to-60 mph times, according to the company, are 5.1 seconds for the 4-cylinder and 3.8 for the Quadrifoglio, if you’re in a bigger hurry and aren’t put off by the $70,000-plus price tag.

Included as standard features on all Giulia trims are leather seating, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM Radio with complimentary 12-month subscription, keyless entry and push-button start, remote start, bi-xenon headlamps with LED daytime running lights and LED taillights, backup camera with rear parking sensors, and Forward Collision Warning-Plus.

In addition, all models also get a Drive Mode selector that lets you fit your driving experience according to your mood. Settings for the 8-speed automatic transmission are Dynamic, Natural, and All-Weather. Quadrifoglio models also get a Race mode, and, yes, you can select gears via paddle shifters that are mounted to the steering column.

My Giulia Ti Sport Carbon model also included in the base MSRP of $43,345 a carbon-interior carbon fiber trim, carbon-fiber draft shaft, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, heated steering wheel, heated front seats, and a sport suspension that some may find to be a bit too firm, but adds to the driving performance.

Extras ran that included the Sports package and a driver-assist package for such items as traffic jam and lane-keeping assist, blind-spot assist, adaptive cruise control, and more ran the final total to $59,640 including $1,295 for destination and delivery.

What I liked about the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Carbon AWD: It’s fun to drive, both from a power and handling standpoint, and the 4-cylinder engine isn’t all that thirsty. Sport seats are supportive and comfortable, and the cabin interior is impeccable with premium material aplenty. 

What I didn’t like about the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Carbon AWD: The trunk is a bit on the small side for its class (13 cubic feet), and the backseat offers only 35.1 inches of legroom. But for me, the biggest negative is the operation of the infotainment system. Having touchscreen capability in addition to the dial on the console does make it easier to make adjustments, but it still doesn’t match the simplicity of the UConnect system of its Chrysler cousin.

Would I buy the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Sport Carbon AWD? Yes. Though I would prefer a friendlier infotainment system, the positives far outweigh that particular negative.

ALFA ROMEO CONTINUES TO REFINE STELVIO, BUT IT’S THE PERFORMANCE THAT COUNTS

In just its third year, Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio already has established itself as a go-to vehicle for someone seeking a functional, fun-to-drive SUV in a distinctive, stylish package.

With a best-in-class 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque produced by the 2.9-liter, twin-turbocharged V6 engine, the Stelvio — it is named for a mountain pass in the easter Alps in northern Italy  — is based on the Alfa Romeo’s popular Giulia sport sedan and delivers breathtaking performance numbers.

The website www.zeroto60times caught it at 3.3 seconds for zero to 60 and 11.7 for the quarter mile, and Alfa Romeo itself boasts of a record 7 minute, 51.7 second lap at the Nürburgring, making the Stelvio Quadrifoglio the fastest production SUV available in the U.S

The Stelvio is offered in several trim variations with Stelvio and Stelvio Ti models getting a 2.0-liter turbo 4-cylinder engine rated at 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque that results in a zero-to-60 clocking of 5.4 seconds and a top speed of 144 mph, according to the company.

Both engines are mated to distinctive 8-speed automatic transmissions with dynamic mode and steering column-mounted shifters for manual gear selection.

This review is based on the top-of-the-line all-wheel-drive Quadrifoglio that gets the V6 and its eye-popping performance numbers.

Of course, it also carries an eye-popping MSRP that starts at $80,445. My test model had options that ran the final bottom line to $95,690 with high-performance CCM Brembo brakes accounting for over half that bump, $8,000 to be exact.

Hey, with all that performance, you’re going to want to have the best stopping power available to go with it!

Since introducing the Stelvio for the 2018 model year, Alfa Romeo engineers have continued to upgrade its features.

For 2020, the Stelvio gets a new center console that features leather-wrapped gear shifter with bright accents, premium rotary knobs and dial materials and increased storage capacity. A wireless mobile phone charging pad also is available, and Stelvio and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models get new steering wheel designs. (For a look at the 2019 Stelvio, see my review from September 2019 via the index to the right.)

The 8.8-inch center touchscreen also is new, though I wish the operation for infotainment features was a bit more friendly. (Actually, I wish it was a lot more user-friendly.)

New available driver assistance features include lane keep assist, active blind spot assist, and traffic sign recognition. The latter is a camera-based system uses a camera mounted on the windshield that alerts you to various traffic signs in case you’re not paying attention.

Standard features on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio include Apply CarPlay and Android Auto, a one-year subscription to Sirius-XM satellite radio, a leather dash and upper doors, heated steering wheel and front seats, 8-way power adjustable front seats with 4-way power lumbar support, a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon Premium sound system, push button start, power liftgate, LED daytime running lights and taillights, dual quad exhaust system (that puts out a sweet tone when dynamic drive mode is selected, carbon fiber interior trim, and blind spot and cross-detection systems.

As noted, my vehicle for the week came in at over $95,000 with extras.

In addition to the Brembo brakes, those extras included the active driver assist programs that featured adaptive cruise control and driver attention alert, a Security and Convenience package that included a rail-mounted cargo compartment cover and premium alarm, a dual pane sunroof, heated second-row seats, the wireless charging pad, and Quadrifoglio carbon fiber steering wheel and leather-wrapped shift knob.

A 4-leaf clover logo on the side panel also is standard on the Quadrifoglio. It pays homage to Alfa Romeo’s racing heritage and designates the company’s high-performance models. “Quadrifoglio” is Italian for 4-leave clover.

Just another cool element to the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s styling.

What I liked about the 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: It’s one of the most fun-to-drive SUVs on the market as well as being comfortable and quiet. Performance is at the top of the chart. The exterior design sets it apart from many of its competitors.

What I didn’t like about the 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: The good folks at Alfa Romeo need to borrow a page from their compadres at Chrysler when it comes to the operation of infotainment functions. Chrysler’s UConnect system is one of the most user-friendly on the market while the one in the Stelvio falls way short. Cargo space is only average.

Would I buy the 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio? I would like a friendlier infotainment system and a bit larger screen for display, but other attributes make this an intriguing buy, especially if you’re looking for a little hop in your get-along.

WANT THE FASTEST PRODUCTION SUV? LOOK NO FURTHER THAN 2019 ALFA ROMEO STELVIO

Considering that Alfa Romeo races in Formula and is known for producing nifty little roadsters like the 4C Spider it brought to the U.S. just a few years ago, it is not surprising that the Italian automaker’s first venture into the SUV/crossover world would come down heavy on power and performance.

Depending on what’s under the hood, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio matches the performance of many of today’s sports sedans or can take on a high-performance sports car in a straight-line drag race.

With the turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder in the base and Ti models, the Stelvio zips from zero-to-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, according to company timers. That isn’t bad for vehicle of this heft, but it would be left in the dust going against the Stelvio Quadifoglio and its twin-turbo V6.

How about numbers of 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque and a zero-to-60 clocking of 3.2 seconds? That’s nearly a second quicker than that for the company’s 4C Spider that weighs in at 2,500 pounds or nearly 2,000 pounds less than the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.

The company boasts that the Stelvio Quadfoglio turned in a record 7 minutes 51.7 seconds on the Nürburgring, the best time ever posted by a production SUV on the famed circuit, making it the fastest production SUV in the world.

Both the 4-banger and the V6 are mated to an engine-specific 8-speed automatic transmission that features Sport, Natural and Advanced Efficiency modes with the Quadrifoglio model also getting the option of “Race” for even more enhanced performance.

You set those modes via the “DNA” button on the console. The dial is marked "d, n, and a" and the image on the screen shows red for Dynamic mode, blue for Natural, and, of course, green for eco. It is yellow for Race, perhaps denoting the caution you should take when using that setting. You push the center of that DNA dial to adjust the suspension.

Quadrifoglio is the tag that Alfa Romeo assigns to its high performance models, similar to the BMW’s “M” and Mercedes’ “AMG” designations. Quadfoglio is Italian for a four-leaf clover, which explains the cloverleaf logo near the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s  front fenders. The cloverleaf’s link to Alfa Romeo dates back to Alfa Romeo’s early racing efforts in the 1920s.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio also comes with all-wheel drive as standard, which is denoted by a Q4 on the left of the rear power liftgate.

In addition to all that power and performance, the Stelvo Quadrifoglio also features distinctive Italian styling. That can be polarizing, of course, as the risk that goes along with stepping away from the crowd can also put off some potential customers.

But it works in this case. The Selvio Quadrifoglio is not just for those who “think outside the box” but for those who don’t acknowledge that a box even exists.

Introduced for the 2018 model year, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio gets some specific styling touches with dashes of carbon fiber throughout, including a carbon-fiber drive shaft. Still, the interior could use a bit of sprucing up in comparison to some of its competitors, and the red interior borders on garish to some.

For a price tag that starts at just over $80,000, the Quadrifoglio doesn’t separate itself much in interior quality from its lower priced stablemates Stelvio, Stelvio Sport, and Stelvio Ti that run in the $40K neighborhood.

But there are plenty off features, including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, premium Harman Kardon audio, 8-way power adjustable and heated front seats with 4-way lumbar support, navigation, leather dash and upper doors with accent stitching, bright aluminum pedals, and a leather-wrapped steering wheel that are included as standard before you have to venture into option packages offering lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and a dual-panel sunroof.

All that ran the total of my test Stelvio to $88,540.

What I liked about the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio AWD: The styling, both interior and exterior, is definitely distinctive. It is a joy to drive, and comfortable for occupants as well. I don’t use them that often, but mounting the paddle shifters on the steering column rather than the steering wheel itself makes for easier shifting.

What I didn't like about the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio AWD: The display for the rearview camera is on the small side, which can become critical in bright, sunny conditions. Operation of infotainment functions is somewhat fussy. You need to take care entering the vehicle, especially from the driver’s side, or you'll bump your head. Harnessing all that horsepower can be an issue if you’re not on full alert. The vehicle often takes bit of a leap at the slightest touch of the accelerator pedal when dynamic mode is set.

Would I buy the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio AWD? Yes. If you’re looking for a high performance crossover/SUV, this has to be on your list.