Here's something that should definitely brighten your day in these tough times: two of our favourite cars, the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio and its related SUV cousin, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, have been updated for the 2020 model year.
Noisy Akrapovic option
These revisions for the two mighty performance Italians largely follow the same path that the regular Giulia and Stelvio models travelled along last year; namely, there are significant improvements to the quality of the interior finishing and better infotainment.
That means the Quadris' 2.9-litre biturbo V6 drivetrain, with 510hp and 600Nm driving either the rear (Giulia) or all four wheels (Stelvio, with its Q4 system) through an eight-speed automatic gearbox equipped with the most heavenly paddle shifts known to humankind, is unchanged. But this is no bad thing: either Alfa 'Cloverleaf' can run 0-100km/h in less than four seconds and go on to at least 283km/h (as the Stelvio), with the Giulia capable of 306km/h flat out. So, mechanically speaking, there's nothing much changed for the 2020MY Quadrifoglios, except for the fact that now customers can opt for an Akrapovic exhaust upgrade, this system of pipes made from titanium and finished with carbon-fibre tips. It should sound absolutely epic.
Green paint, finer cabin
So, to the visual changes. On the outside, all 2020MY Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglios now enjoy LED rear light clusters with dark lenses, while the front and rear badges are finished in a gloss-black fashion. Mopar, one of the related companies in the wider FCA group, has also designed a line of exclusive Quadrifoglio accessories, such as a carbon-fibre front grille with 'V' insert, as well as carbon-fibre mirror caps and a rear spoiler. Furthermore, the Stelvio is moved up to 21-inch wheels, marking the first time such a size of alloy has been fitted to a QF.
Then there are the paint choices. Alfa has grouped these into four categories, titled Competizione, Metal, Solid and Classic. These have various different finishes and themes, but among the Classic range are three new colours, which are 6C Villa d'Este Red, GT Junior Ocra and then the pezzo di resistenza that you can see in the images, which is Montreal Green. Choose this one if you buy a Quadrifoglio 2020MY, please and thank you very much in advance.
Moving inside, as with the regular Giulias and Stelvios, the centre console has been redesigned with more storage space, with a new steering wheel and gearlever (both trimmed in leather) added to the cabin. There's the option of either red or green seatbelts, if you don't like the standard black items, while perforated leather upholstery will be offered on the Quadrifoglio models for the first time. Leather-and-Alcantara sports seats are standard-fit, with optional carbon-shell Sparco buckets available for a fee.
Meanwhile, the onboard infotainment has been improved to the latest 8.8-inch touchscreen centre-display, with fresh graphics and information programmed in, while extra Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) are added as well - including Lane-Keep Assist, Active Blind-Spot Assist, Active Cruise Control, Traffic Sign Recognition, Intelligent Speed Control, Traffic-Jam Assist, Highway Assist, and Driver Attention Assist.
Prices and specs for Irish-market Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio models will be released closer to their on-sale date in summer of this year. We'll bring them to you, as and when we have them.