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Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio enhanced once again
Updated models are anticipated to arrive in South Africa sometime next year.
For the second time in three years, both the Giulia and Stelvio have been refreshed.
With an all-electric future six years away, Alfa Romeo has taken the wraps off the newly updated Giulia and Stelvio for what is believed to be one of the final lifecycle refreshes.
Although joined by the Tonale in its product portfolio earlier this year with two more models joining before 2025, a still unnamed new sports car in 2023 as well as the Jeep Avenger-based Brennero in 2024, both are set to live-on to at least 2025 or 2026 before being phased out.
At the same time, parent company, Stellantis, will take leave of the Giorgio platform Jeep uses for the Grand Cherokee and Grand Cherokee L and Maserati for the Grecale as a result of phasing-in the EV optimised STLA architecture.
What is new?
The updates are therefore more extensive than those applied at the first refresh three years ago and externally comprise the same SZ-derived 3+3 Matrix LED headlight design as on the Tonale, a new front bumper with lower mounted air intakes, a restyled grille and new LED taillights resplendent with transparent glass clusters on the Giulia and blacked-out items on the Stelvio.
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Inside, the pod-like instrument cluster has been revised and sports an all-digital layout measuring 12.3-inches with three background designs. No further changes have taken place.
Slimmed down to two trim levels, Super and Ti, with an available Sprint pack on the former and Veloce on the latter, a new addition is the Competizione that mainly consists of exterior and interior enhancements.
Based on the Veloce, items on offer comprise a Harman Kardon sound system, red stitching on the dashboard, Competizione embroidered headrests, red brake calipers, a new exterior colour called Moon Light Grey Matte and 21-inch alloy wheels on the Stelvio only.
With the exception of the Giulia Quadrifoglio Verde and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio not mentioned as being recipients of the revisions, Alfa Romeo has kept the dynamics unchanged, but reduced the engine count to two.
In Europe therefore, buyers will have the choice of the 206kW/400Nm 2.0-litre turbo-petrol that drives all four wheels as standard, or two versions of the 2.0-litre turbodiesel; 118kW/450Nm for rear-wheel-drive models and 155kW/470Nm on all-paw gripping derivatives.
With the dropping of the lower-powered petrol and diesel engines, the six-speed manual gearbox also departs, leaving the ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic as the sole option.
Arrival?
Going on-sale in Europe from February next year, expect both the Giulia and Stelvio to become available in South Africa soon after.
