9. ALFA ROMEO STELVIO
Price From £30,000 (est) On sale Autumn
ALFA Romeo is on a high at the moment, after the enthusiastic response to its Giulia saloon. Now the Italian brand is set to boost its order books even further with its first SUV: the Stelvio.
The Stelvio actually shares many chassis and engine parts with the Giulia – along with some of the saloon’s styling. The headlight treatment and front grille are very similar, giving the SUV an imposing look.
Under the skin, you’ll be able to pick from two engines at launch – a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 276bhp, or Alfa’s 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 207bhp and a useful 470Nm of torque. Both cars are four-wheel drive, and they get an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard; a manual isn’t offered, even as an option.
Further down the line, Alfa will wheel out a 503bhp flagship version of the car, based on the same Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6 that we’ve already sampled in the Giulia Quadrifoglio.
Inside, it’s very much like sitting in a slightly elevated Giulia; the dashboard layout and design are basically identical. But that’s no bad thing, because this high-quality finish keeps it upmarket.