Alfa Romeo recently unveiled a higher performance version of the Giulia named the GTA . The iconic nameplate was revived to celebrate the company's 110th anniversary in 2020. The Italian manufacturer has no plans to use the GTA badge on the Stelvio SUV, despite high demand for performance crossovers these days.

According to Alfa Romeo product marketing boss Fabio Migliavacca, a Stelvio GTA is out of the question since the SUV won't be able to match the Giulia's performance on the race track. "Frankly speaking, we had a meeting on a Stelvio GTA but it’s just not in line with customer expectations. It has to be the best possible . On the Stelvio, we have a higher center of gravity so it won’t achieve the same goals," he told Autocar.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA pays tribute to a car from the 1960s

The Giulia GTA revives an iconic nameplate from the 1960s. The original GTA was unveiled in 1965 and was based on the first-generation Giulia. The GTA also spawned a series of race cars, include the GTAm, which went on to win notable races around the world.

Alfa Romeo Giulia GTA
Alfa Romeo 

The track-focused GTAm version has only two front seats, racing harnesses, and side and rear windows made from Lexan. The GTA and GTAm are said to be three tenths quicker from 0 to 62 mph with a benchmark estimated at 3.6 seconds. Only 500 will be built and Alfa Romeo revealed that demand might exceed production.

But what if Alfa Romeo would build a Stelvio GTA?

Since the Stelvio is built on the same platform as the Giulia, such a model would be easy to develop. The Stelvio is already available in Quadrifoglio trim, with identical horsepower and torque, so it could very well adopt the slightly more powerful 2.9-liter V-6.

Granted, it won't be as quick and agile as the Giulia GTA, but the Stelvio GTA could attract many buyers that are looking for the comfort and utility of an SUV with the performance of a sports car. Maserati is already offering a Trofeo version of the Levante SUV, so Alfa Romeo could give in and produce a GTA variant of the Stelvio in the near future.