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2023 Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio tweaked outside and in

Another Stellantis brand has hopped on the streamlining craze, this time Alfa Romeo. The Italians from Turin dropped info on what's coming to the 2023 Giulia sedan and Stelvio crossover for international markets, the best bits likely destined for our market as well. After introducing new brand hallmarks on the Tonale, the Giulia and Stelvio adopt the revised Trilobo grille and three-section full-LED headlights. You'll need look closely to see the grille differences, but there's a touch more depth and sculpting around the edges. The headlight changes are easier to spot, the "3+3" inspiration coming from the SZ and Brera, which predate the Tonale. The headlights also come with automatic high beams. Other shores that can have fancy lights get the Adaptive Matrix high beams that automatically adjust beam contours so as not to blind oncoming traffic. Yes, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration cleared the mechanics of such lights for use in the U.S. in February of this year, but U.S. laws stipulate a lower maximum brightness than allowed in other markets. We'll see if the matrix system makes it here. The taillights don't appear to have changed, their covers have. The Giulia gets transparent glass taillight covers, the Stelvio gets smoked glass. There could be some illumination tricks front and back, too. We're used to seeing sequential turn signals in back, spy shots have shown a sequential turn signal pattern in the headlights, and Alfa says there's a "'Welcome and Goodbye' device that turns on every time the driver closes or opens the car."  Every trim features a 12.3-inch digital instrument panel that comes with three themes. The Heritage theme recalls the analogue gauges on vintage Alfas, with some upside down numbers on the analogue-looking speedo, a minimalist tachometer and a digital facsimile of the old school odometer with rolling numbers. Evolved "represents the future of Alfa Romeo design," placing most information in the center, the circular areas at the edges containing sweeping needles for the speedo and tach, but no numbers in the 'dials.' Relaxed puts nearly everything in the center, putting vitals like fuel level and oil temperature at the sides. Trim levels will be reorganized into two primary levels and two options levels. The basic tiers are Super, the entry-level, and Ti.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta facelift to ape Giulia

When a brand launches a big, bad flagship model, it's only natural that it would seek to tweak the styling of its lesser models to more closely resemble the top dog. For Alfa Romeo, that means instilling a bit of Giulia style in the Giulietta hatchback. And that, in turn, means a new, more aggressive fascia. While these shots show the same kind of dopey headlights featured on the current Giulietta, our spies report that they'll be tweaked to reflect the sharper grille and bolder lower bumper. Even if the shape of the headlights is retained, the look inside the housing will likely change. Changes in back are more subtle, although we can expect the taillights and rear bumper to be retouched. Changes should come to the cabin, too, as indicated by the camouflage inside. Again, though, these are likely to be of the mid-cycle refresh variety, so don't European consumers should expect a dramatic transformation over the current car. Check out the full gallery of spy photos at the top of the page, and keep an eye open for the facelifted Giulietta when it debuts next year at Geneva. Related Video:

Alfa Romeo goes hatchback-free after axing the Giulietta

Alfa Romeo exited the hatchback segment by ending production of the Giulietta, a Volkswagen Golf-sized model introduced in 2010. It's planning on filling the void in its range with a city-friendly crossover in the coming years. Honored with a heritage-laced nameplate, the Giulietta made its debut in Milan as Alfa Romeo celebrated its 100th birthday. Executives considered selling it in the United States but decided to keep it on the other side of the pond, though its basic platform underpinned the short-lived Dodge Dart. In its home country, the hatchback was positioned as a premium model that reflected the firm's upmarket ambitions. It slotted beneath the Giulia. Stylists made several visual tweaks to the Giulietta during its 10-year life cycle, and they managed to keep it looking relatively fresh. It's a different story inside, where the 2020 model feels about as old as it is. Alfa Romeo's earlier hatchbacks — including the 147 — spawned high-performance variants that still raise eyebrows several decades after their launch, but the Giulietta never received the full go-fast treatment. Over the course of its production run, engine options ranged from a 104-horsepower 1.4-liter turbo four to a 1.8-liter four-cylinder turbocharged to 240 horsepower. Front-wheel-drive was the only configuration offered. Over 400,000 units of the Giulietta were manufactured in Italy between 2010 and 2020. The final example was made shortly before Christmas, according to French website Caradisiac. We don't know what it looks like or where it's off to. Alfa could choose to put it in its collection, or it might send it to an unsuspecting dealer. The news comes a couple of weeks after news that the slow-selling Alfa 4C Spider was among the cars that won't be coming back in 2021. Alfa Romeo Tonale View 9 Photos What's next? Rumors claimed Alfa Romeo would develop a rear-wheel-drive successor to the third-generation Giulietta built on a shortened version of the Giulia's platform. Had it been launched, this model would have undoubtedly become the enthusiast's choice in its segment, especially because the BMW 1 Series went front-wheel-drive. We don't know if the reports were accurate, but what's certain is that a new Alfa Romeo hatchback is not around the corner. Instead, the Giulietta's spot in the range will soon be occupied by the production version of the Tonale concept (pictured above) introduced during the 2019 edition of the Geneva auto show.