Here is the new Alfa Romeo Stelvio before you see it

The Stelvio has been on the market for almost a decade now. In Germany, you can only order it with the 280 hp petrol engine (until the end of May) and as a 210 hp diesel . And while Alfa Romeo's first SUV remains a desirable and one of the best driver's cars in the segment, its successor is already eagerly awaiting launch.

An official presentation is planned for this year, but as of today, we already have a pretty good idea what the second generation of the Stelvio will look like. Thanks to leaked patent office images, which show the Italian mid-size SUV in full regalia.

The design is similar to what we saw in a camouflaged prototype last month. Expect a complete overhaul compared to the current model. The complete absence of exhaust tailpipes strongly suggests this is the all-electric variant. However, Alfa Romeo has already confirmed that there will also be cheaper versions with a combustion engine.

Image by: Alfa Romeo

Should fans of the brand be concerned? Well, at least judging by these rather grainy black and gray photos, there's some reason to be. If it weren't for the brand's signature Scudetto grille at the front, we'd have some difficulty identifying this SUV as an Alfa Romeo . Sure, the rims also have a familiar design, but everything else represents a radical departure from what we're used to from the Turin-based automaker.

Take the narrow upper daytime running lights, for example—they look a bit like the BMW iX, don't they? Separate LED lights, "hidden" in the bumper, will serve as the main headlights—similar to those on the BMW X7 or XM .

The very stretched side view with the flush-mounted door handles also appears relatively random in these images. A closer look indicates a significant increase in size compared to the current Stelvio . Given the two-tone look with a black roof, this could be a higher-end version that Alfa Romeo has trademarked.

We had already predicted the triangular taillights in our Motor1 rendering some time ago . After all, this is a unique selling point. Also unusual: the tailgate appears almost square.

Image by: Alfa Romeo

Image by: Alfa Romeo

Logically, future models always look worse in grainy patent office images than they do in reality. Nevertheless, Alfa Romeo is clearly taking greater risks with the design of the second-generation Stelvio. The SUV appears more controversial than its predecessor, trading some of its Italian elegance for polarizing details like the split headlights.

And of course, we also have to ask ourselves whether the next Giulia will suffer a similar fate. Statements by Alfa Romeo CEO Santo Ficili indicate that the previously sleek sedan will mutate into a Stelvio without the high heels. The classic sedan shape will likely be abandoned in favor of a fastback concept in the style of the DS 8.

Both models will be based on the STLA Large platform, thus leaving behind the costly Giorgio architecture from the FCA-PSA era. While today's Stelvio measures a good 4.70 meters, the new platform was designed for vehicles between 4.76 and 5.13 meters. This explains why the new Stelvio appears significantly larger in the pictures.

The original plan to launch the two mid-size stars as purely electric vehicles was long since abandoned due to current market conditions. This likely also means the 1,000-hp Quadrifoglio variants are off the table. An alternative would be the 550-hp Hurricane inline six-cylinder engine of the Dodge Charger.

However, Alfa Romeo promised to retain its own 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 at the end of 2023. Former CEO Jean-Philippe Imparato stated that the relaxed Euro 7 regulations would allow the company to continue offering the in-house engine. However, the fact that it has now been dropped from the European lineup offers little hope in this regard.

Learn more about the new generation of Stelvio and Giulia