Alfa Romeo Stella Compact SUV Is The Tonale From An Alternate Universe

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.

As you can see, 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 4,351mm (171.3in) length makes it 336mm (13.2in) 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, however, 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.

That said, which Alfa Romeo compact SUV would you like to see on the street, the Tonale or the Stella?