New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 facelift: interior, exterior and tech updates

Alfa Romeo’s Stelvio has been treated to a facelift, which should help the mid-size SUV better compete with premium rivals including the BMW X3, Porsche Macan and the new Mercedes GLC. The refreshed car will arrive in the UK during the first quarter of 2023.

Like the Giulia, which has also been given similar updates for 2023, the Stelvio’s mild facelift comes with a boost in technology, as well as a new line-up that now falls in line with the trim structure for the brand's smaller Tonale SUV. The newly updated Stelvio is available in entry-level Sprint, mid-spec Veloce and range-topping Competizione trim levels, while the hot Quadrifoglio version should receive similar design and tech updates later on. We should see the latter for the first time at some point during the first half of 2023, and aren’t expecting any changes to its 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6, which develops 503bhp in the outgoing car.

The visual improvements for the milder versions of the Stelvio aren’t particularly major, but are just about enough to make it relatively easy to tell new and old apart. The headlight units feature three individual lights, just like the Tonale and numerous older Alfa Romeo models including the SZ Zagato. The lights themselves now offer LED adaptive Matrix technology so the beam can adapt to oncoming cars so as not to dazzle their drivers, while the ‘Tribolo’ grille, as Alfa Romeo calls it, has been given a new paint finish.  

Competizione models sport twin exhaust pipes to reinforce their status as the sportiest model in the regular range, complemented by a diffuser element in the bumper. There’s also a panoramic roof and wheel arch trim finished in gloss black. While the Giulia gets smoked rear lights, the Stelvio gets a set of transparent clusters.

There are more changes inside with the addition of a 12.3-inch digital dash. The instrument cluster can be configured with three different styles: Evolved, Relax and Heritage. In Evolved mode, the speedometer and rev counter sit either side of a central information readout. Relax reduces the level of information on display for a less cluttered look, while Heritage offers a more retro design. 

The new Stelvio’s engine range consists of Alfa’s 276bhp 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol engine as well as the 207bhp 2.2-litre four-cylinder diesel. Both motors are mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels through Alfa Romeo’s Q4 all-wheel drive set-up. On Veloce models, it’s possible to combine the Q4 system with a Q2 limited-slip differential for greater traction at the rear axle. The Stelvio sits on the same Giorgio platform as the Giulia, meaning it features a double wishbone suspension set-up at the front and multi-link axle at the rear, plus a longitudinally mounted engine.

The top-spec Competizione version receives Alfa Romeo’s Active Suspension system, which incorporates electronically controlled dampers. It also gains 21-inch wheels, red brake calipers and an exclusive matte grey paint finish. 

Also new is the presence of of Non-Fungible-Token (NFT) technology, something we first saw on the Tonale in what Alfa Romeo called a “world exclusive in the automotive field”. With it, the Stelvio gets “an encrypted and non-modifiable digital register” to store data including the vehicle’s service history. The concept now covers the entire Alfa Romeo range.

Pricing for the updated Stelvio will be announced in early 2023. Given the styling changes and improved tech offering, we’d expect a small increase over the £52,449 starting price for the outgoing 207bhp diesel version.

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