The underlooked Alfa Romeo Stelvio appears to be getting an update in its final years.
Photos shared on the Autopareri forums and by Instagram user Instalfisti show the Stelvio wearing a revised front-end.
The facelifted model could be revealed this year, and a corresponding facelift of the related Giulia is possible.
There’s some camouflage on the grille, but the bulk of the changes seem to be localised to the headlights.
They have a more aggressive look, with LED daytime running lights styled to give the appearance of three lighting elements per side like on the new Tonale.
The three-element headlight layout has also been used on past Alfas like the SZ, Brera, and 159.
It’s likely they have switched to matrix LED technology like the Tonale, or at least LEDs. The current Stelvio uses increasingly uncommon bi-xenon headlights, albeit with clever active cornering lighting.
The front bumper appears unchanged, apart from potentially restyled air intakes.
We can also make out a new wheel design, though there are no images of the side and rear. Restyled tail lights, again in the vein of the Tonale, seem likely.
The Stelvio, along with its Giulia sedan sibling, received an interior update for 2021 that included upgraded infotainment, a restyled centre console, and more premium materials.
It’s unclear if there’ll be any subsequent changes to the interior, such as the adoption of a digital instrument cluster.
It’s also unclear if the Stelvio will receive any changes under the bonnet.
Tonale
The current engine range consists of turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder and twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 petrol engines, with a 2.2-litre turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine still available in Europe.
There are no electrified engines of any sort available in the Stelvio.
With the introduction of the Tonale and the planned introduction of an even smaller SUV, possibly called the Brennero, the Stelvio will go from being Alfa Romeo’s only SUV to being its flagship SUV.
Fellow Stellantis brand Maserati has borrowed the Stelvio’s Giorgio platform for its new Grecale, which will offer a mild-hybrid turbocharged four-cylinder engine and a detuned version of the MC20 supercar’s twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre V6.
Pictured: current Stelvio Quadrifoglio
That could give it even more power than the already hot Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which pumps out 375kW of power and 600Nm of torque from its twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6 engine.
The current Stelvio will be the first and last generation of the nameplate with internal combustion engines.
Starting in 2025 all of the company’s new models will be engineered exclusively for electric propulsion.
The first two cars in Alfa’s EV-only era will be replacements for the Giulia and Stelvio, both of which will be based on the STLA Large architecture that supports both rear- and all-wheel drive formats.
Pictured: current Stelvio Veloce
The brand will exclusively sell EVs by 2027.
The Stelvio has remained a bit player in the Australian market, with only a 1.5 per cent share of the mid-sized luxury SUV segment in 2021.
Alfa Romeo sold 192 examples last year, putting it well behind every direct rival, though the brand was in the process of rolling out an updated version.
Keyword: 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio facelift spied