Launched in 2017, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is getting a longer-than-usual shelf life since 2023 will bring a mid-cycle update that'll likely remain on sale for another three or four years. A thinly covered prototype of the Italian SUV has been spotted undergoing final testing while showing the mildly updated taillights with new full-LED graphics and what appears to be a darker tint. However, the shape of the taillights has remained the same.
A facelift typically introduces redesigned front and rear bumpers, but the Quadrifoglio's seem unchanged, at least on this work-in-progress vehicle. The most important novelty is hiding underneath the only piece of camouflage Alfa Romeo applied on the Stelvio. It conceals the new headlights featuring the same "3+3" design we saw on the smaller Tonale as a nod to the SZ Zagato or the Proteo concept. They're likely bigger here to match the SUV's larger footprint.
2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio spy photos
Eagle-eyed readers will notice there's a red wire hanging from the cargo area, but it doesn't seem to be connected to anything underneath the vehicle. Elsewhere, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is virtually the same as the high-performance SUV that has been around for several years. It remains to be seen if Alfa Romeo intends to update the interior by installing a fully digital instrument cluster.
It's unclear whether there are any changes underneath the hood where the twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 resides. Alfa Romeo has developed a more powerful version for the Giulia GTA/GTAm but equivalent Stelvio versions have been ruled out. In the super sedans, the engine pumps out 540 hp or an extra 30 hp compared to the standard Quadrifoglio.
2023 will be important to Alfisti for another reason as their favorite brand will finally introduce a long-awaited sports car. However, the clock is ticking for combustion engines since Stellantis has said Alfa Romeo will morph into a purely electric brand in Enlarged Europe, North America, and China by 2027. In fact, all the automotive conglomerate's brands active on the Old Continent will sell only EVs by the end of the decade. It'll take more time in the United States where Stellantis wants zero-emission vehicles to account for half of the total sales by 2030.
