Spain’s Civil Guard Traffic Group Takes Delivery Of 301 New Alfa Romeo Stelvios!

Here in North America, we are used to seeing vehicles like the Dodge Charger Pursuit and Durango Pursuit patrolling the roads throughout the continent. But in Spain, the Civil Guard Traffic Group has been looking at the Alfa Romeo brand for help to enforce the code of public roads, help serve the public interest, and offer public safety. That Alfa Romeo vehicle that the Civil Guard Traffic Group is looking at is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q4. 

The Civil Guard Traffic Group has acquired a fleet of new patrol vehicles consisting of 301 new Stelvio Q4 units. The model picked for duty is the Stelvio Q4 with the 2.2-liter Multijet turbodiesel inline-four-cylinder engine mated to a ZF-sourced 8-speed automatic transmission.

Delivering 207 horsepower (154 kW) and 347 lb.-ft. (470 N⋅m) of torque, the 2.2-liter can push the Stelvio Q4 from 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) in 6.6 seconds and a top speed of 215 km/h (134 mph). The engine complies with the Euro 6 D Final regulations, all while averaging a fuel economy of 4.8 L/100 km (or about 49 mpg in the U.S.).

The acquisition took place after the announcement of a public tender, in which the Alfa Romeo Stelvio was the vehicle selected based on the final score obtained, taking into account economic and technical criteria.

Alfa Romeo’s Q4 all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, ensures all the advantages of AWD and, at the same time, without compromising the driving fun of a rear-wheel-driven vehicle and its unique thrills and superior driving dynamics.

At the heart of the Q4 system is the Active Transfer Case (ATC) which monitors grip conditions and driver inputs in real-time to ensure the best performance and, whenever needed, can transfer up to 50% of the engine torque to the front wheels via an extremely compact, lightweight front differential.

Mainstream solutions in the segment are primarily based on permanent AWD systems. These are less dynamic, and are biased to a fixed torque distribution value (e.g., 70% Rear – 30% Front in normal conditions) and, once one of the axles starts slipping, the speed difference between the tires leads to a different torque distribution value between the front and rear axles (e.g., 50% Rear – 50% Front) purely achieved by mechanical means.

Alfa Romeo’s Q4 system instead allows the vehicle to travel as a pure rear-wheel drive and if tire grip is approaching its traction limit, or in case of high dynamic maneuvers, it can instantly deliver up to 50% of the engine torque to the front thus preventing wheel slip and ensuring maximum vehicle performance and driving effectiveness.

Torque distribution is then constantly modulated with high dynamic and extreme precision according to the effective traction conditions and driver commands: this translates into best-in-class vehicle control concerning traction and directional stability when cornering.

Alfas Q4 system ensures that traction is used to max-out performance in any condition, increasing vehicle handling, and, if needed in extreme circumstances, stabilizing it before the intervention of the brake electronic stability control without impairing performance.

Between the “On Demand” AWD systems, Q4 represents a generational leap: enthusiasts have always known that traditional AWD vehicles tend to understeer. But with Q4, Alfa Romeo’s sporting heart beats at a different rhythm in every configuration of the DNA selector, creating the maximum emotional involvement in the Dynamic setting. This system was designed to give you the pure driving feeling of rear-wheel drive with maximum safety guaranteed by having traction available on all four wheels.

An important contribution to safety in the provision of the entrusted service is made up of the lighting system with AFS adaptive Bi-Xenon Headlights, the involuntary lane change warning system, traffic sign recognition, and the rearview camera with front and rear parking sensors.

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q4 has proven itself as an admirable patrol vehicle in a number of global markets. The Italian Carabinieri, Dubai Police, and the Spanish Civil Guard are just a few agencies to have embraced the Stelvio for its patrol duties.