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Alfa Romeo Stelvio goes on sale this summer for $42,990

The wait is nearly over for the most practical Alfa Romeo yet. The mainstream versions of the new Stelvio crossover SUV go on sale this summer, with pricing and availability for the 505-horsepower Quadrifoglio coming later. The entry-level Stelvio will start at $42,990, and the higher-trim Ti will go for $44,990. This pricing, which includes destination charges, is nearly identical to key competitors in the small luxury crossover segment. The Jaguar F-Pace starts at just $70 more with a base price of $43,060. The BMW X3 starts a bit lower than both at $41,045. Each of those entry-level crossovers makes less power than the Stelvio, though. The Jaguar makes 247 horsepower, and the BMW makes 240. The Stelvio's turbo four-cylinder makes 280 horsepower and 306 pound-feet of torque. And unlike the BMW, the Alfa comes with standard all-wheel drive. Along with the standard eight-speed automatic, the Stelvio is capable of getting to 60 mph in an estimated 5.4 seconds on the way to a 144 mph top speed. Aside from the potent four-cylinder, Stelvios come standard with leather seats, keyless entry and starting, rearview camera, 7-inch infotainment display, and 18-inch wheels. Spending the extra $2,000 for the Ti trim level will add 19-inch wheels, real wood trim, an 8.8-inch infotainment screen, and heated seats and steering wheel. Sport packages are available on both the base model and Ti. Each package includes sportier suspension, a different steering wheel, black window trim and roof rails, and aluminum pedals and paddle shifters. On the base Stelvio, the package only costs $1,800 and also adds 19-inch wheels. On the Ti, the package costs $2,500, but includes 20-inch wheels and 12-way power sport seats. The Ti also offers a Lusso package for $2,500 that comes with 19-inch wheels, 12-way power seats with nicer leather upholstery, a leather-wrapped dashboard, and a "luxury" steering wheel. Related Video:

Stellantis ready to kill brands and fix U.S. problems, CEO Tavares says

  MILAN — Stellantis is taking steps to fix weak margins and high inventory at its U.S. operations and will not hesitate to axe underperforming brands in its sprawling portfolio, its chief executive Carlos Tavares said on Thursday. The warning for lossmaking brands is a turnaround for Tavares, who has maintained since Stellantis was created in 2021 from the merger of Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler and France's PSA that all of its 14 brands including Maserati, Fiat, Peugeot and Jeep have a future. "If they don't make money, we'll shut them down," Carlos Tavares told reporters after the world's No. 4 automaker delivered worse-than-expected first-half results, sending its shares down as much as 10%. "We cannot afford to have brands that do not make money." The automaker now also considers China's Leapmotor as its 15th brand, after it agreed to a broad cooperation with the group. Stellantis does not release figures for individual brands, except for Maserati which reported an 82 million euro adjusted operating loss in the first half. Some analysts say Maserati could possibly be a target for a sale by Stellantis, while other brands such as Lancia or DS might be at risk of being scrapped given their marginal contribution to the group's overall sales. Stellantis' Milan-listed shares were down as much as 12.5% on Thursday, hitting their lowest since August 2023. That brings the loss for the year so far to 22%, making them the worst performer among the major European automakers. Few automotive brands have been killed off since General Motors ditched the unprofitable Saturn and Pontiac during a U.S. government-led bankruptcy in the global financial crisis in 2008. Tavares is under pressure to revive flagging margins and sales and cut inventory in the United States as Stellantis bets on the launch of 20 new models this year which it hopes will boost profitability. Recent poor results from global carmakers have heightened worries about a weakening outlook for sales across major markets such as the U.S., whilst they also juggle an expensive transition to electric vehicles and growing competition from cheaper Chinese rivals. Japan's Nissan Motor saw first-quarter profit almost completely wiped out on Thursday and slashed its annual outlook, as deep discounting in the United States shredded its margins. Tavares said he would be working through the summer with his U.S. team on how to improve performance and cut inventory.

Marchionne: FCA, but not Ferrari, interested in Formula E

It seems like automakers have been clamoring to get on board with Formula E lately. In just the last few weeks a number of manufacturers have either become more directly involved, or otherwise announced entry into the series in coming years. That includes Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, with the latter two abandoning other series to join the electric one. Now, FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne says his company might join Formula E as well, according to Motorsport. Previously, Marchionne had toyed with the idea of bringing Ferrari into the Formula E field, but now says that would be unlikely. Instead, he thinks an FCA brand would be a better fit, perhaps Alfa Romeo or Maserati. At the moment, Maserati seems like the best fit, as Marchionne just announced that the brand would electrify its entire lineup after 2019, with each car it sells having either a hybrid or electric powertrain. Fans would probably be excited to see Maserati return to racing, and Formula E would be a good test laboratory for the development of electric propulsion technology. Still, another brand could represent FCA in Formula E, and apply the knowledge learned there to its vehicles, as Marchionne says half of the FCA fleet will be electrified by the end of the company's five-year plan ending in 2022. Marchionne said that while Ferrari won't be directly involved, he doesn't know which FCA brand – Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Chrysler, Fiat, or Maserati – would enter. As interesting as an electric Dodge race car would be, it seems unlikely, especially because of, well, Maserati. We're hoping it's Jeep, though. Related Video: News Source: MotorsportImage Credit: ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP/Getty Images Green Alfa Romeo Ferrari Maserati Green Culture Electric Racing Vehicles Sergio Marchionne FCA Formula E