2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sport Utility 4d on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Alfa Romeo teases 'a new era' with Tonale taillights

The Italians from Turin opened their Facebook page to put the world on alert that "a new era begins with Alfa Romeo," and they did so using Alfa Romeo Tonale taillights. The leading guess as to what this might portend is a battery-electric Tonale. Such a vehicle is possible, but there are questions. Brand product chief Daniel Guzzafame admitted it was "technically possible," and we're expecting an EV from Alfa next year; however, that's meant to be the Italian version of the Jeep Avenger EV sold in Europe. FCA Italy runs the Facebook page in question, and the page contains plenty of Europe-specific content, so perhaps this teaser isn't meant for us in the U.S. Or perhaps the new EV gets Tonale taillights. Or perhaps some market will see a Tonale EV soon.  Another guess is that engineers have created an enhanced Tonale variant to put the Dodge Hornet in the dust. Alfa Romeo was said to be less than pleased about Dodge borrowing the Tonale and launching its Hornet first, then showing a Hornet GLH (Go Like Hell) concept with more than 300 horsepower compared to the Tonale PHEV's 285 hp. So what if there's a Quadrifoglio PHEV headed to market, marking the first time the go-fast division would have put four leaves on a hybrid powertrain? CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato said that after the Tonale launch, "we have one big product event every year for five years." This year was the 33 Stradale, next year comes something, and in 2025, "a full EV super-performing car." After that, every Alfa Romeo will be battery-electric, and Quadrifoglio trims make the jump. Imparato said there'd only be a Quadrifoglio variant of the current version if engineers could unlock "the highest level of performance." A four-leafed Tonale could break the seal on the future of performance Alfas, and be among the department's last ICE-powered hurrahs. All shots in the dark, though. Now that the tease campaign has begun, the next clue won't be far away.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Luggage Test: How big is the trunk?

The Alfa Romeo Giulia is a brilliant little sport sedan to drive, a true delight every time you get a chance to jump behind the wheel. But what might it be like on a road trip? Well, it's a sedan, so obviously you can bring some friends along, but the back seat certainly isn't the largest out there and neither is the trunk. To be clear, this isn't necessarily a bad thing. A bigger Giulia would probably be a worse Giulia to drive. One simply needs to be aware of the trade-off. According to the specs, the Giulia's trunk measures ... um, actually, they're not listed anywhere on the specs provided on the Stellantis media website. For any Giulia from 2024 to 2017. Let's go ahead and check the consumer website then. Wow, nothing there, either. OK then, thank goodness for the luggage test, then. Let's snap to it! OK, so here is the trunk. It is not big, but how might it compare to other sport sedans I've tested, including the Genesis G70 (10.5 cubic-feet), Cadillac CT4 (10.9) and BMW 3 Series (depends on model)? Let's find out.  As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). There are two options here. On the left, the fancy bag on top of one of the medium black roller bags, plus the biggest bag (gray) and smallest roller (blue). Alternatively, I could fit the small blue and its bigger check-in sibling, plus the two medium-sized bags -- but the small blue one would be a big squished.  Obviously, as you can see here, there's lots of left over space. There's also two bags left out regardless of configuration. Why? There's just not a lot of height in this trunk, and there are things hanging down that hamper it further. Shown above are speakers can might catch on something, plus the fat structural crossmember running above the fold-down seat pass-through that prevents bags from sliding all the way back. The biggest hindrance, though, are these large seat pass-through pulls on the left and right side of the trunk. They got in the way when trying to stack bags on their bellies atop each other.

2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Ti Lusso Drivers' Notes | We've got a crush on Giulia

American car enthusiasts have pined over Alfa Romeos for decades. The automaker stopped importing cars to the U.S. in 1995, with only a brief appearance with the beautiful but exotic 8C Competizione. The 4C followed along a few years later, but it too was a niche product, mainly intended to raise brand awareness than raise sales. That's where the Giulia steps in. As a compact sport sedan, Giulia is Alfa's BMW 3 Series competitor. Sure, the Giulia Quadrifoglio might get all the headlines, but cars like the Giulia Ti Lusso and Sport will be the real volume models. This is an extremely cutthroat segment with high expectations when it comes to both luxury and performance. Alfa has been out of the game for a long time, and the reputation it left wasn't exactly the greatest. Alfa Romeo has a lot riding on this car. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I like this car right from the start. It's a looker. While I prefer colors that pop, the Giulia looks wonderful even in this metallic black paint. The proportions are all perfect, and that iconic grille has rarely looked better. If Alfa does one thing right, its the styling. I felt the same way about the interior. The design is all simple and clean. The seats are particularly nice, with Ferrari-esque ribs down the middle. I'm also a big fan of the wood and leather. Only some cheap feeling plastic bits brought it down. This Giulia has a middling transmission, a good engine and great steering. There's some weird low-speed hesitation from the eight-speed that makes it feel like a dual-clutch. Once you're on it, the shifts are quick and smooth. The Lusso doesn't come with paddle shifters. That's fine. Not every car needs them. Buy the Sport if you want that sort of thing. Power and torque come on quick and effortlessly. It feels every bit as its class-leading (four-cylinder) 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet for torque would suggest. The 5,500 rpm redline comes in quick and abrupt, making me wish it had a little more room to breathe up top. The steering is wonderful. It's quick and precise but doesn't feel jittery. I'd have to drive the competition back to back, but I think this has the best steering in the class. The wheel feels nice in your hands. Some of the other touch points are a letdown, but Alfa got the driving position and controls just right. Not a , but still a . Good engine, better steering.