2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce on 2040-cars

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2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia Luggage Test | Time for an Italian vacation

When it comes to handling and being fun to drive, the 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia is right at the top. From its engaging and tossable Ti trim, to the totally bonkers Quadrifoglio, Alfa Romeo has some excellent options for those who love to drive. However, we aren’t exploring 0-60 mph times or steering feel today, so letÂ’s see how the Italian sedan holds up when it comes to suitcase stacking. Alfa Romeo doesnÂ’t list an official trunk capacity on its media website or its consumer-facing site, but itÂ’s very similar in size to the last luxury sedan I luggage tested: the 2020 Volvo S60. WeÂ’ll place the estimate to be around 12 cubic-feet. Just by eye-balling it, Alfa appears to be on the smaller side of the spectrum here, with its competition being the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz C-Class and several others. Note that I use different equipment than Riswick out in Portland: Two carry-on suitcases sized (24 inches long, 15.5 wide, 10 deep); one carry-on suitcase (21.7L x 13.7W x 9 D); one medium-size suitcase you have to check (24.5L x 16.8W x 11.5D) and two larger, full-size suitcases (33.8L x 21.5W x 13D) and (28.1L x 18W x 10.5D). It's not a power trunk, but you can pop it via the fob, a button by the driver footwell or a button on the trunk itself. Once open, I started with the carry-on suitcases. All three of those fit when turned on their sides, but a fourth would be impossible to squeeze in using that formation. ThatÂ’s due to the GiuliaÂ’s trunk becoming more restrictive in both depth and width deeper inside of it. YouÂ’ll notice the curved intrusions at the back of the trunk pictured below. They make shoving a suitcase all the way back in there impossible, as there isnÂ’t enough space next to the other three suitcases. The opening itself is rather small, too, forcing me to contort the suitcases as I lay them in. Instead, I decided to stick the fancy bag (22L x 8.8W x 12D) in there. ItÂ’s smaller and better suited to the space that remains, fitting perfectly within that nook. ThatÂ’s not ideal, but plenty of room for two people on a longer getaway. Next up: full-size suitcases. One of them fit right in without issue, but the second full-sizer I use for testing would not. Once again, this is due to the width restrictions imposed by the trunk walls coming in on both sides at the back. I did manage to fit the medium-size suitcase next to the one full-sizer if both were turned on an angle.

Submit your questions for Autoblog Podcast #317 LIVE!

We record Autoblog Podcast #317 tonight, and you can drop us your questions and comments regarding the rest of the week's news via our Q&A module below. Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes if you haven't already done so, and if you want to take it all in live, tune in to our UStream (audio only) channel at 10:00 PM Eastern tonight.
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Alfa Romeo will be expanding its lineup beyond the Tonale

Last night, speaking with the press, Senior Vice President and Head of Alfa Romeo North America Larry Dominique gave us an idea of the Alfa lineup in the near future. The brand will be expanding its offerings, but not by too much. Alfa will eventually have five key models. It will have two offerings in the C-segment (Tonale-size), two offerings in the D-Segment (Giulia/Stelvio-size) and one in the E-segment (larger than Giulia/Stelvio). And as implied by our size clarification, we already know what most of those are, with the Tonale taking the C-segment SUV slot, and the Giulia and Stelvio for the D-segment. Dominique said the second C-segment vehicle would be something more car-like than the Tonale, though he wouldn't commit to saying it would specifically be a sedan. So it's possible it could be some kind of hatchback or maybe a coupe-like SUV. He was more vague about the E-segment vehicle. Considering the car market, some kind of SUV would seem most likely. As previously reported, this E-segment machine will arrive in 2027 with a wide range of electric powertrains from 300 to 1,000 horsepower. All of these new models will be fully electric. That includes the next-generation Giulia and Stelvio. The Tonale won't be going completely electric just yet, but it seems reasonable to assume a new generation model will be. Dominique noted that the Tonale, which is only offered with a plug-in hybrid in the U.S., is a good way to start introducing both dealers and customers to the idea of electrified Alfas. Apparently these five segments are the limit for Alfa for the time being. Dominique said that those models will cover more than 80% of premium buyers, and Alfa is trying to be "efficient" with how it covers the market. So don't expect the myriad bodystyles and niches from German brands such as BMW and Mercedes. There is one possible exception: a sports car. Dominique said that they're always interested in a sports car or halo product. He wouldn't commit in any way to such a product, though. With that being said, there's already been one teaser for something that might be just such a special sports car, maybe called 6C, a few weeks ago. We doubt that Alfa will launch a sports car that will stick around like the 4C, it will probably just be limited production cars that can be sold out quickly. Related video: A Night With Giulia