There once was a point when the auto industry could go through an entire cycle of years without Alfa Romeo being mentioned. Part of the Italian automaker’s obscurity can be attributed to the fact that it had no models to stand its legs on. But now, that has changed with the arrival of the Giulia sedan and the Stelvio SUV, two models that Alfa Romeo has high hopes for. You might even say that the company’s future could depend on how successful these two models are. In lieu of that, it’s equally important to know that both the Giulia and the Stelvio, despite coming in two different sizes, are more alike than you think.

From the design to the engines, both the Giulia and Stelvio rely on a number of shared qualities that could help propel Alfa Romeo to a more prosperous future or sink the automaker further down into the abyss of irrelevancy. Go ahead and check out what these similarities are.

Continue after the jump to read the similarities between the Alfa Romeo Giulia and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio.

The Stelvio is like a taller version of the Giulia

This isn’t so much of a surprise since Alfa Romeo is relying on one uniform design language between the Giulia and the Stelvio. That said, the similarities are still uncanny as the Stelvio appears to be just a taller version of its sedan counterpart. Fortunately, Alfa Romeo came up with a great design uniform look for both models so any issues – if there are even any – are likely to be mitigated by how the look of both models will be received

Both are powered by the same engine

Note: Giulia Quadrifoglio engine shown here.

By and large, both the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio will rely on a number of shared engines, including a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that delivers 280 horsepower and a 2.9-liter V-6 engine that Alfa worked on with Ferrari. The V-6 sits at the heart of both the Quadrifoglio variants and produces the exact same output of 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque. It must be noted though that with the disparity in size – one is sedan and another is an SUV – the performance times vary between the Giulia QV and the Stelvio QV. The sedan can hit 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds and hit a top speed of 193 mph while the crossover can cover the same ground in 3.9 seconds (0.1 seconds slower) before peaking at 177 mph (14 mph slower).

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio

Engine

2.9-liter V-6

2.9-liter V-6

Horsepower

505 HP

505HP

Torque

443 LB-FT

443 LB-FT

0-60 MPH

3.9 Seconds

3.8 Seconds

Top Speed

177 MPH

191 MPH


Both will be built in the same factory

This one sounds trivial, but it’s still important when you consider how crucial it is for both the Giulia and the Stelvio to be successful. Both models will call FCA’s Cassino Assembly Plant in Piedimonte San Germano home. Production for the Giulia already began in April 2016 and once the Stelvio is done making the auto show rounds, it’s also expected to be produced in the same facility. Why is this important? Well, it all boils down to the number of items that both models will share, including the aforementioned engines and the Giorgio platform, of which the Stelvio will be built on a modified version of the same platform that the Giulia is currently being built on. Building both models in close proximity to one another using essentially the same materials saves Alfa Romeo a lot of money in production costs.

Both are very important to Alfa Romeo’s future

Given how much Alfa Romeo has struggled in recent years to gain some traction in the industry, a lot of hopes and dreams are riding on the success of both the Giulia and the Stelvio. For its part, the Giulia is off to a rousing start as the sedan has gained overwhelmingly positive reviews from pundits and new car owners alike. Sure, it’s not a perfect car by any means, but it is good enough to get Alfa Romeo’s name back in mainstream consciousness. As for the Stelvio, the fact that it’s an SUV – the first SUV for Alfa Romeo, at that – means that it’s important for the Italian automaker as it tries to break into one of the most lucrative segments in the entire auto industry today. It’s unclear if Alfa can sustain its momentum if only one of the two ends up being successful, but if both models break the bank, there will be a lot of excited and relieved people in the company.

Competitors should be wary of both models

This is a little harder to foresee given that we still don’t know how the Stelvio will be received by the auto-buying public. But the early returns are very promising for Alfa Romeo. The Giulia, for instance, is already being thrown around as a legitimate option against the BMW 3 Series, one of the titans of its segment. Just as important is the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which stacks up quite well against the BMW M3, Audi RS4, and the two Mercedes-AMG C 63 models (the C 63 and the C 63 S). It remains to be seen if the Stelvio will fare as well as the Giulia in the more competitive SUV segment, but the important thing is that other automakers are already taking notice of not one, but both models.

Read our full review on the Alfa Romeo Giulia here.

Read our full review on the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio here.

Read our full review on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio here.