Earlier this month at the Geneva Motor Show, Alfa
Romeo unveiled the Tonale, a concept vehicle that previews a new compact
crossover with a plug-in hybrid drive. While the study enjoyed a warm
reception there are some independent designers who believe they can do better.
Enter Jesse Diephuis and his impressive Alfa Romeo Stella.
As with the Tonale, the independent artist’s study
envisions a new Alfa Romeo crossover that would slot below the Stelvio in the
brand’s lineup. It would share underpinnings with the Giulietta and would be
slightly more off-road-focused than the larger model.
The Stella features many Alfa Romeo
design cues, including the shield-shaped grille, flowing surfaces, coupe-like
lateral window outline, and phone-dial alloys, among other things. The
taillights remind of the Giulietta, while the headlights actually look more
like Porsche than Alfa Romeo.
The Alfa Romeo Stella’s 4,351 mm length
makes it 336 mm shorter than the Stelvio, placing it halfway between an
Audi Q2 and Audi Q3. Factor in the youthful, sporty styling and the Stella
should appeal to young buyers more than anything in Alfa Romeo’s current
lineup.
There’s one design detail that won’t be everyone’s
cup of tea and that’s the area around the grille that looks quite
busy. One of the CGIs shows a modification the designer made to fix it but the
black trim surrounding the Scudetto grille still looks a bit too massive. Other
than that, we can’t really fault Diephuis’ work.
