The more impressive figure though is perhaps for 25 Malaysians to have placed deposits for their Alfa Romeos already.
While many were excited by the official return of Alfa Romeo to Malaysia, that initial buzz was perhaps somewhat dulled by the near half-million-ringgit price tags attached to the newly launched Giulia and Stelvio.
However, in a move that perhaps leans a little too neatly into Italian stereotypes, there is a rather cunning way around paying nearly RM 500,000 for an Italian stallion. All it takes is just to register said Alfa Romeo in Langkawi or Labuan, and buyers only need to fork out roughly half that amount!
Or to be a bit more specific, here’s how the numbers stack up:
Official Pricing
- Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce: RM 438,800
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce: RM 478,800
Duty-Free Pricing
- Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce: RM 228,800
- Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce: RM 258,800
Now it has to be said that this loophole isn’t exactly wide open at the moment, especially following recent government announcements that have placed tighter controls on duty-free registrations. Even so though, and somewhat impressively, 25 Malaysians have already placed deposits for their Alfa Romeos. Good on them.
Also, for those who are perhaps still itchy for that la dolce vita lifestyle, it is worth noting that Casa Alfa Romeo is now officially open. Located at RS-G-1, Rhapsody Square, TREC Kuala Lumpur, the brand’s flagship showroom has been designed as a hub for the Alfisti community, anchoring Alfa Romeo’s ownership experience with sales, aftersales service and spare parts all thoughtfully positioned in close proximity for a more effortless journey.
And of course while on the subject of ownership experiences, it would be remiss not to mention too that all new Alfa Romeo models sold locally are backed by a 5-year or 150,000 km warranty.
As for a little bit more on the cars themselves now, both the Giulia and Stelvio arrive in Veloce trim and are fully imported from Italy. They also make their local debut in facelifted form, following their global unveiling back in 2022.
The Veloce trim on both models signify that a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder lies under their hoods, sending 280 hp and 400 Nm through an 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox.In the Giulia, drive is sent to the rear wheels, while the Stelvio benefits from all-wheel drive. Both cars crack off the century sprint in a decently spritely 5.7 seconds, though the SUV does lose 10 km/h off its V-Max relative to the sedan’s 240 km/h top speed.
Kit-wise, both cars come fully specced from Italy. The sumptuous exterior aesthetic of both models is accentuated by a restyled grille with ‘3+3’ Matrix LED adaptive headlights underlined by LED DRLs and 19-inch Teledial alloys which, behind them, hide a Q2 mechanical self-locking differential.
Inside meanwhile, there is an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Android Auto/Apple CarPlay, a 12.3-inch customisable fully digital instrument cluster, sport leather seats with dark grey stitching, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system. Both models are further equipped with a suite of ADAS features, including adaptive cruise control with traffic jam assist and traffic sign recognition, blind spot monitors, lane keep assist, and driver attention assist.
