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Alfa Romeo Stelvio caught testing under the cloak of darkness

With Americans still going crazy over compact SUVs and crossovers, the upcoming Alfa Romeo Stelvio is the Italian automaker's latest attempt at regaining its status as a household name in the US. Photographers managed to capture a prototype testing at night with very little camouflage to hide the SUV's overall design. These photos are the clearest ones we've seen of the upcoming SUV. The prototype's front end is extremely similar to the Giulia's with two oval-shaped outlets on the side of the fascia with a v-shaped grille in the center. The headlights, which are surrounded by black tape, also mimic the units found on the Giulia. The ruffles in the camouflage on the hood suggest that the Stelvio gets a pair of vents. The profile of the crossover is much more round than previous prototypes depicted with the overall shape mimicking the Jaguar F-Pace, but much smaller in size. The taillights, surprise, surprise, also resemble the same ones found on the Giulia. There's no way to know what type of engine is powering the Stelvio prototype, but the two tailpipes and skinny tires point toward something much more subdued than the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 that puts out 505 horsepower in the Giulia Quadrifoglio. We expect the production version of the crossover to get the same gasoline and diesel options as the Giulia, depending on where the vehicle is sold. The Stelvio – and this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone – looks like a larger, taller Giulia. While the prototype looks ghastly with its camouflage, we expect, and hope, that the SUV will look a lot better at its debut, which could take place at next month's Los Angeles Motor Show. Related Video: Featured Gallery Alfa Romeo Stelvio Spy Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Design/Style Spy Photos Alfa Romeo Crossover SUV alfa romeo stelvio

FCA joining virtual CES with in-depth tours and Jeep Wrangler 4xe in AR

CES is sort of, technically happening, but it won’t be the CES weÂ’ve all become accustomed to over the years. Automakers will be doing their best to participate virtually, assuming they decide to join in the festivities at all. FCA is one that will have a little nugget of tech to share with us. A few main experiences will be made available to anybody with a computer. FCAÂ’s main draw is meant to be “highly detailed interactive product tours” where you can get to know a number of vehicles in a virtual world and hear from a “virtual brand ambassador” throughout the tour. You wonÂ’t be able to sit in and crawl through the cars like a normal auto show for the public, but FCA is promising a rather immersive experience online. The guided tour through the cars and technologies will be available in 12 FCA vehicles, two of those being the new Jeep Grand Wagoneer Concept and Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. FCA plans to offer in-depth talks about how it tests vehicles, too. There are demonstrations planned for wind tunnels, the four-post shaker, an advanced drive simulator and general performance testing. Additionally, FCA plans on providing more insight into Uconnect 5 and vehicle electrification systems. WeÂ’re guessing the latter will offer up details on the Wrangler 4xe. The plug-in hybrid Wrangler will also be the star of FCAÂ’s AR play at CES. Everybody will be able to scan a QR code on FCAÂ’s site, then have access to a Wrangler 4xe on their phone. YouÂ’ll be able to “put it” in your driveway virtually, change the colors and get up close and personal with the interior.  All of this will launch on fcaces2021.com at 9 a.m. ET on January 11 (official first day of the virtual CES show), so surf on over there next week if you want to check it out. Related video:

Alfa Romeo to go all-electric by 2027

On an earnings report last week, Alfa Romeo parent company Stellantis tacked on some electrification plans for its 14 brands. One surprising piece of information: Alfa Romeo would be the first of them to go fully electric, and it'll happen by 2027. We've known that Alfa Romeo would eventually go electric, but it's a bit surprising to hear that Stellantis wants it to happen on such a short timeline, and that it would spearhead its EV push. Alfa Romeo has been one of the most protected brands in the Stellantis empire, and one of the most traditional as well. The often quirky but nevertheless beloved brand has long been a favorite among car enthusiasts. In fact, brand heritage is so important that back in 2014 the company opted to develop its own Spider rather than borrow a platform from the ND Miata (That car went to become the Fiat 124 instead). Stellantis didn't confirm what the first Alfa EV would be, but it could arrive in the form of a subcompact crossover about the size of a BMW X1. It could also share the platform with other Stellantis brands like Peugeot, Fiat and Jeep and is slated to debut in 2022 or 2023. In the meantime, Alfa Romeo is working on the Tonale plug-in hybrid electric, which was recently delayed. Reportedly, Stellantis head Jean-Philippe Imparato was not satisfied with the hybrid-electric system. The PHEV crossover will share a platform with an upcoming Jeep model as well. It should arrive in early 2022 if things stay on track from here. The express timeline also indicates that the new Stellantis STLA large-vehicle architecture will have to be ready before 2027. It's set to replace the sharp-handling rear-wheel-drive Giorgio platform that underpins the Giulia and Stelvio. And while it'll be shared across multiple Stellantis brands, Imparato has promised Alfa Romeo-badged cars will retain the qualities that have made the name so special. In the same report, Stellantis confirmed that Opel would go all-electric by 2028 and Fiat would follow by 2030. Related Video: 2021 Jeep Wrangler 4xe plug-in hybrid powertrain feature walkthrough | Autoblog