2020 Alfa Romeo Lineup: More Premium Touches, Same Impressive Performance

• Alfa Romeo continues to celebrate its 110^th anniversary in 2020.

• The 2020 model year brings updated technologies and infotainment features.

• Alfa Romeo addresses some shortcomings for the 2020 model year in its Giulia sports sedan and Stelvio SUV

It’s not every day that a car company celebrates its 110^th Anniversary. This milestone is an observance of Alfa Romeo‘s past but it’s also a celebration of the present and the future. As one of the most storied automotive brands in the world, we were given a virtual tour of the brand’s history a short while ago. And now, we find out more about the 2020 model year Giulia and Stelvio.

Modern Alfa Romeo vehicles continue the traditions set by the legendary cars from the 1930s and 40s, such as the 1932 Alfa Romeo Tipo B – P3, where they were just as happy to be pushed to the absolute limit on a racetrack as they were sitting on the lawn at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este.

The most recent products from the Italian car manufacturer remain extremely competent as road and track cars and SUVs, and they are arguably some of the most attractive and distinct on the market today. Performance remains at the heart of the company’s DNA and is the driving force behind both the Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV.

Both are available with a turbocharged 2.0-litre 4-cylinder engine good for 280 horsepower and 306 lb.-ft. of torque. With the standard 8-speed automatic transmission, the Giulia hits 60 mph (96 km/h) in only 5.1 seconds while the Stelvio needs only 0.3 seconds more.

The mad Quadrifoglio versions are back and remain some of the most powerful vehicles in their respective segments. The Ferrari-derived twin-turbocharged 2.9-litre V6 engine still produces an incredible 505 horsepower and 443 lb.-ft. of torque. You might recall that this powertrain, along with the Q4 AWD system, managed to push the Giulia Quadrifoglio around the Nürburgring in only 7:32 minutes. The Stelvio lapped the Nürburgring in a record 7 minutes 51.7 seconds.

From the moment the Alfa Romeo Giulia launched for the 2017 model year, the Stelvio a year later, there were concerns over the brand’s infotainment system, which was “catastrophic”, is the way I referred to it in my Stelvio Quadrifoglio review from last year. But, it’s gone now.

And so, let’s look into the changes brought forth by Alfa Romeo for the 2020 Giulia and 2020 Stelvio. 

2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia

Three key areas were addressed for the 2020 model year Giulia. As noted, powertrains remain unchanged, which was never an issue.

On the outside, the always beautiful Alfa Giulia is now available in three new colours: Verde Visconti (which was already offered on the Stelvio), Lunare White, and Anodized Blue.

The cabin is where most of the upgrades are found. In an effort to increase the car’s premium appeal, the center console has been upgraded and now features a leather-wrapped gear shifter. Just ahead of it are new larger cupholders. To its immediate right is a new rubberized compartment for the key. An available wireless-charging recess sits just ahead of the armrest. The whole of the console is cleaner with fewer plastic-looking surfaces.

There’s also a new steering wheel which is now a little thicker. It sits just ahead of a newly-designed 7-inch driver instrument cluster with new functionalities and vehicle information pages.

Also within the cabin is a new standard 8.8-inch center touchscreen display that is still sourced from Magneti Marelli. It now has more processing power, better graphics, and looks far easier to navigate. Included are new Performance pages and more personalization options. Alfa Romeo will throw in a complimentary 12-month subscription to SiriusXM radio, along with standard Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and tonnes of new connectivity features including a Wi-Fi hotspot, Mobile App with remote operations and select Firmware Over the Air (OTA) updates.

Finally, a number of level II autonomy technologies find their way into the 2020 Giulia. Lane keep assist, active blind spot assist, driver attention alert, traffic sign recognition, forward collision warning and more are now part of the package.

For throaty exhaust sound lovers, the Quadrifoglio’s dual-mode exhaust will now activate in Dynamic drive mode and not solely in Race mode as was previously the case.

2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

The same approach and attention was delivered to the Stelvio. The major difference is that the SUV can now be ordered with a body colour appearance kit which includes side sills, rear fascia, and fender flares. Likewise, a Dark Miron appearance kit adds fender flares, side sills, and rear fascia finished in Dark Miron. If neither are to your liking, an exterior carbon fibre package (V Scudetto grille, mirror caps) is available. There are also two new exterior colour: Lunare White, and Anodized Blue.

All other improvements as described for the Giulia sedan, from the perfected infotainment system, the upgraded center console, and Level II autonomous driving technologies, are offered with the Stelvio.

Alfa Romeo is aware that their product has not always lived up to expectations however the important infotainment changes for 2020 will address many concerns, at least where initial impressions are concerned. As well, the future is looking bright as expectations are high with the Tonale.

2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio

1 of 24