2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio - the New "Crossover of Texas" Champion - Wins Three Awards From the Texas Auto Writers Association

AUBURN HILLS, Mich., Oct. 19, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- 

• 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio named "Crossover of Texas" and "Luxury Crossover of Texas" and took home "Most Drives" honor
• All Stelvio models feature a perfect 50/50 weight distribution, class-leading power and performance and an eight-speed automatic transmission with available steering column-mounted aluminum paddle shifters with gear shifts in less than 100 milliseconds
• Stelvio comes very well-equipped with many standard premium features, including a direct-injection 280-hp turbocharged and intercooled 2.0L engine, delivering 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds, DNA drive mode selector, genuine leather interior, remote start with passive entry, bi-xenon headlamps, dual exhaust, class-exclusive carbon-fiber driveshaft, flat-bottom Formula One-inspired steering wheel, 7-inch TFT and much more
• Stelvio Ti (Turismo Internazionale) adds 19-inch wheels, genuine wood interior accents, an 8.8-inch widescreen entertainment and information display, heated seats, heated steering wheel and more
• Stelvio Quadrifoglio recently set a Nürburgring lap time record of 7 minutes, 51.7 seconds, making it the world's fastest production SUV
• The innovative Q4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system ? standard on all Stelvio models, including the Quadrifoglio ? provides additional driving confidence and superior control
• Stelvio and Stelvio Ti are on sale now with an MSRP of $41,995 and $43,995, respectively

The all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio was crowned "Crossover of Texas" and also took home honors for "Luxury Crossover of Texas" and "Most Drives" at the annual Texas Truck Rodeo hosted by the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA).

"On the heels of the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio's multiple honors ? including our coveted 'Car of Texas' trophy ? earlier this year, our journalists were most intrigued to test out the Italian brand's Stelvio utility and with no doubt we came away very impressed," said Nic Phillips, President of TAWA. "With so many highly competitive crossovers to choose from these days, Alfa Romeo has absolutely infused its Italian heritage and racing pedigree into a CUV that delivers sporting dynamics while still forging a very practical vehicle that people will get a smile from driving each and every day."

A total of 64 pickups, SUVs, crossovers and commercial vehicles were entered in the competition and 75 TAWA members attended the event. Members cast their votes after two days of on- and off-road vehicle evaluations. Consideration is given to everything from exterior/interior styling and off-road capability to the entrant's overall utility, value and performance.

At TAWA's Texas Auto Roundup earlier this year, the 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio was crowned "Car of Texas" and also took home honors for "Performance Sedan of Texas" and "Most Drives" at Circuit of The Americas (COTA).

The Stelvio lineup brings world-class performance, state-of-the-art technologies, seductive Italian style and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium mid-size SUV segment.

Crafted by Alfa Romeo artisans at the Cassino plant in Italy, the all-new 2018 Stelvio lineup is a testament to Alfa Romeo's perfect balance of engineering and emotion, creating a premium mid-size SUV for driving enthusiasts that stands out in one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the United States.

About TAWA

The Texas Auto Writers Association, Inc. was founded in 1985 by automotive journalists who wanted to provide an avenue of professional growth, development and networking. These professionals sought to create an automotive event that was unique to Texas and the result was the TAWA Truck Rodeo. Since 1992, Truck Rodeos have been held in San Antonio, Houston, Dallas, Fort Worth, Granbury and Spring Branch, and now Dripping Springs. In 2003, TAWA created an event for sedans, sports cars, and other vehicles not eligible for the Truck Rodeo. The Texas Auto Roundup, as the event is called today, has been held annually at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. For more information, visit www.texasautowriters.org.

About Alfa Romeo

Since its foundation in Milan, Italy, in 1910, Alfa Romeo continues to design and craft some of the most stunning and exclusive cars in automotive history, all while building on a racing heritage that includes some of the most talented and storied drivers and victories.

Crafted by Alfa Romeo artisans at the Cassino plant in Italy, the all-new 2018 Stelvio lineup is a testament to Alfa Romeo's perfect balance of engineering and emotion, creating a premium mid-size SUV for driving enthusiasts that stands out in one of the largest and fastest growing segments in the U.S. Born from the world's greatest driving road ? the Stelvio Pass ? the all-new 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio sets a new benchmark in performance, style and technology in an SUV that could only be Italian. The innovative Q4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system ? standard on all Stelvio models, including the Quadrifoglio, provides additional driving confidence and superior control. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio ? on sale in early 2018 ? holds the Nürburgring record for the fastest production SUV with a lap time of 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds. Infused with Italian passion, craftsmanship and innovation, the all-new Alfa Romeo Stelvio will conquer the winding road for which it is named.

As the first of a new generation of vehicles on an all-new platform, the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Giulia Ti sedans embody Alfa Romeo's La meccanica delle emozioni (the mechanics of emotion) spirit, delivering race-inspired performance with a class-leading 280 horsepower, advanced technologies that include the available Q4 all-wheel-drive system, seductive Italian style and an exhilarating driving experience to the premium mid-size sedan segment. As the "halo" model in the lineup, Giulia Quadrifoglio highlights Alfa Romeo's motorsport knowhow with a best-in-class, 505-horsepower, 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 engine that earns the title of the most powerful Alfa Romeo production car engine ever and the quickest with a class-leading 0-60 mph time of 3.8 seconds, plus it enabled a record-setting Nürburgring lap time of 7:32 ? the fastest ever by a four-door production sedan.

The handcrafted 2018 Alfa Romeo 4C Coupe and Spider represent the purest form of La meccanica delle emozioni, with their race-inspired, mid-engine design and state-of-the-art, Formula 1-inspired carbon fiber monocoque chassis that enables an incredible power-to-weight ratio and with advanced technologies, including the all-aluminum 1750 turbocharged and intercooled engine with direct-injection and dual variable-valve timing, which enables supercar-level performance, including 0-60 mph in 4.1 seconds.

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SOURCE FCA US LLC