Launched in 2017, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio enjoys a longer life than usual as 2023 will bring a mid-cycle update that will likely remain on sale for another three or four years. A lightly covered prototype of the Italian SUV has been spotted undergoing final testing while showing off the slightly updated taillights with new all-LED graphics and what appears to be a darker tint. However, the shape of the taillights remained the same.
A facelift usually introduces redesigned front and rear bumpers, but the Quadrifoglios look unchanged, at least on this development vehicle. The most important novelty is hidden under the only Alfa Romeo camouflage element applied to the Stelvio. It conceals the new headlights featuring the same “3+3” design we saw on the smaller Tonale as a nod to the SZ Zagato or Proteo concept. They’re probably bigger here to match the larger SUV footprint.
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Eagle-eyed readers will notice that there’s a red wire hanging from the cargo area, but it doesn’t appear to be connected to anything under the vehicle. Elsewhere, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is virtually the same as the performance SUV that’s been around for several years. It remains to be seen whether Alfa Romeo intends to update the interior by installing a fully digital dashboard.
It’s unclear if there are any changes under the hood where the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 resides. Alfa Romeo developed a more powerful version for the Giulia GTA/GTAm but equivalent Stelvio versions were excluded. In the super sedans, the engine develops 540 hp, which is 30 hp more than the standard Quadrifoglio.
2023 will be important for Alfisti for another reason as their favorite brand will finally present a long-awaited sports car. However, time is running out for combustion engines as Stellantis has said that Alfa Romeo will transform into a purely electric brand in Greater Europe, North America and China by 2027. In fact, all brands of the automotive conglomerate active on the Old Continent will only sell EVs by the end of the decade. It will take longer in the US where Stellantis wants zero-emission vehicles to account for half of total sales by 2030.
