That gold is an interesting color.

 

the base price has dropped by $1k? That's a surprise. But the Ti sport is up $2k...

 

Thank you for posting! Cool to see the fender badges. I see 'Veloce' but what is the other new one?
Pity no ventilated seats and I wish the info graphics were not the same red/white font.
John

 

OH! No roof rails..

 

2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio First Drive: A New Inner Beauty

The 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio addresses some of the biggest problems of the earliest models, with an updated cabin and smarter tech.

www.motor1.com

More in depth review.

Gotta admit the new infotainment sounds sweet, and the addition of a wireless charging pad is too..would love to not have cords in my interior...might make up for the shorter armrest.

And yeah..that Gold is interesting. Very eye catching.

My Jetta was goldish..called gangsta grandma gold....cause and only ganstas and grandma's have gold cars....

Wonder if the new steering wheel uses the same leather....touching the steering wheel rim is my favorite thing about the car...that leather is tactile joy..

 

Finally, perhaps the best thing about this new interface is that it’s exclusive to Alfa Romeo – and not currently shared with any other vehicle in the sprawling FCA lineup. As good as the Uconnect system may be, the display looks exactly the same in a $22,000 Jeep Compass as it does in a $160,000 Maserati Levante. Kudos to the Alfa team for delivering something unique and special.
I remain skeptical about this. UConnect is the best system out there (or one of them) and I would have preferred they used this instead. Seeing this new system in action will be a big factor on my upgrading to a new Stelvio sooner rather than later. I would appreciate the app for things like remote start. I used it on my Pacifica today to start it before I left the office for the long cold walk to it - it's really a fantastic feature. I really don't understand not using it across the FCA family.

 

Agree - never change the steering wheel!

 

YES - I just want the new shifter ! Maybe if we all complain that we are cutting our fingers on the sharp crappy plastic on the shifter, Alfa will have to do a recall to replace it. Maybe they could just do it to be nice. ?

 

100% need to retrofit the new shifter. Let’s build a coalition of the willing, maybe new thread!?

 

I think, from the pictures, that the Lusso trim does not get body colored cladding, rather it is shiny black. If that's the case that bums me out. I love the look of having that all body colored.
Now - what is the fender badge?

 

Same drive train though....thought after three years hoped we would have an "intermediate" engine between the TI and Quad with a simple tune, producing 340 to 390 HP (we all know this is possible).

Interesting they tamed down the brakes...one of my wife's primary issue with our TI sport is the touchy brakes (doesn't bother me a bit).

I realized the tech/info system sucked on the 2018 - 2019s....but did not buy for that and certainly was not willing to wait

 

Wrong thread probably but...Is the 4 Leaf Clover badge only on the hottest engine in a model? ? Wondering if Alfa offered a mid range engine like @smunger4 suggested would it have that badge?https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Quadrifoglio

 

Looks great! Anyone know when these will be available at the US dealers?

 

Maserati gets blasted for using Uconnect in every review.

I agree though, it's a good system.

Truth is, the new one might be a re-skinned and tweaked Uconnect...or the next evolution. I've been researching and it appears to be the new suppliers Alfa is using, also supply the rest of FCA with infotainment hardware. Not positive..but maybe.

 

That would make me happy then. It's so useful and such am important part of the user experience with any vehicle now that having a less than optimal infortainment system does't cut it any longer. And in my view, it just make business and financial sense to leverage what already is available in the FCA family.

 

Would it be nice to have a better system like uconnect? Sure, I guess. My Audi had a decent system and I used it to play music. Honestly if I had Android Auto I'd be perfectly happy with it.

I didn't buy the Stelvio for the infotainment system. I bought it because it's sexy af and I can't wait to drive it everyday. Probably the same reasons most of us did.

 

Would it be nice to have a better system like uconnect? Sure, I guess. My Audi had a decent system and I used it to play music. Honestly if I had Android Auto I'd be perfectly happy with it.

I didn't buy the Stelvio for the infotainment system. I bought it because it's sexy af and I can't wait to drive it everyday. Probably the same reasons most of us did.

It's about making it the BEST it can be!

 

I'm not arguing that. If they can make it better, by all means, do it. I'm just saying I can't really knock the current system - other than AA/ACP, which I was told could be updated. That aside, I knew exactly what the infotainment system was like before I bought it. If it does what it's supposed to do and doesn't crash then ?

For Alfa it's kind of a damned if you do and damned if you don't. If they used Uconnect people would complain that Alfa went cheap and used the same system their neighbor's pacifica has. They tried to give Alfa owners something unique to Alfa. But I agree with you. If they can make it better I certainly won't decline it.

 

Thanks - love it when we agree! Not bashing it, just have the FCA UConnect experience to compare it to. My current system is still better than the Audi system we had in the Q3 before this.

 

 

Does anyone know what model Alfa that is at 12:12 in the video? It's seen briefly parked on the street as they make a right turn.

 

Went to LA Auto show yesterday with wife, saw the 2020 Stelvio, I have to say interior looks so much better with new shifter, leather dash with contrast stitching, steering wheel is nice too. they made it little thicker & feels really good. Biggest change is the infotainment system, Exterior looks same. We're thinking about moving on to something else, when our current Stelvio lease was up ( in 4 months) but wife wants another Stelvio & I agree with her, I don't see anything better out there, so most likely we'll end up leasing 2020 model when they arrive. Hope 2020 model will be more reliable ( all kinds of electrical issues) but overall I think all new cars have electrical issues. Hope we can get good lease deal on new ones. We'll see.

 

I checked them out at the LA Auto show yesterday. The new changes to the interior are nice...but not anything so amazing to up and switch to one. The little wireless charging pad near the center console storage is nice BUT it eats into the said storage...by about half.

I sat in one that had an optional carbon Fiber interior trim vs the textured aluminum which was nice. I could live with either.

I didnt play with the new infotainment. The one I sat in was turned off, and I didnt feel like waiting for another vehicle.

Also, the Tonale concept is NICE. I just hope it still "feels" like an Alfa since its FWD based.

 

The Tonale name is going to be a problem at least in the US, EVERYONE will say "they named your car toenail?". BTW, the leather dash is actually an option, also includes the top doors as well, It's been available it's $1150 I think, unless they've changed and made it standard, it absolutely makes a huge difference on the interior. My next stelvio will def. have it.

 

For those that want the shifter and trim piece below are the part numbers. Don't know if they would be a direct fit or any modding would be needed. i'm sure going to give them a try at some point. Check your local dealer

These are from EMEA parts.

Aluminium trim
156151217
44€

Shifter
156150609
360€

 

Any word on whether quad model will have its own (suede?) variant of new shifter?

I've seen with smooth leather and perforated in 2020 cabin photos, but none yet of a 2020 quad.

 

All these complaints about the shifter? I don't get it. I've driven late model SUV's with mechanical shifters and they were absolutely horrible!! And just because Alfa interiors are minimalistic they are considered "cheap". I remember getting a two year old Passat as a loaner not long ago and the chrome on the interior bits was peeling off. "Cheap" suggests a life expectancy that is less than expected. I don't see the evidence.

 

From my perspective, it's not that its an issue with the shifter functionality itself, it's just that the hard plastic covering feels cheap for a $50,000+ car. It's one thing being minimalistic, it's a completely different thing having sharp hard seams on the one of the parts of the car that you touch every time you drive. Just my 2 cents.

Alex..

 

I just dont like holding it because of the hard seams...but my habit is to hold the shifter....

Otherwise my opinion is the same as yours DrDon....I like the interior and find it to be wearing better than most "luxury" interiors so....

 

WOW. I just got my 2018 (5k miles) Stelvio in July, but I'm going to have to seriously sit on my hands to keep from running out to get a new 2020. Can't say I love the yellow but there's nothing like the Vulcano Metallic Black anyway.

 

What yellow? Is there a yellow one? Or are you referring to the Gold?

 

giulietta.Imho best looking golf class hatchback. in production from 2010, wtthout any exterior changes still looks fresh

 

But WHEN do we get to play with the configurator online? I need to build and dream my replacement!
John