Sporty Stelvio passes muster
ALFA ROMEO has had more comebacks than Mike Tyson and, like the calamitous former heavyweight champion, most have ended in failure. Of course we’re not talking disasters on the ear-chomping scale but for the last couple of decades all modern Alfas have promised much, delivered little and never really succeeded in the sales charts.
However, earlier this year something truly unusual happened. Alfa launched the Giulia, which was the opposite of terrible. Drop-dead gorgeous, fun to drive, fast and with a decent interior that sacrificed neither comfort nor space. Alfa Romeo was back, it told us. But even an ageing boxer can get lucky once; we eagerly awaited what it would do next.
This Stelvio is its next move and it pushes the brand well beyond its comfort zone because instead of yet another saloon or sports car, Alfa has fashioned its first SUV.
Created to go head to head with the Audi Q5, BMW X3, Jaguar F-Pace and the Mercedes-Benz GLC, the Stelvio has been made to appeal to families.
Instead of talking about extra ground clearance and its ability in the mud, Alfa says it wants to put the “sport” back into SUV (sports utility vehicle), hence naming it after the Stelvio Pass – one of the world’s finest driving roads located in the Italian Alps. Its sporty theme extends to its styling, which adapts the Giulia’s design cues so successfully some might prefer the Stelvio to the small saloon.
Luckily, beneath its sharp Italian suit is a wide range of tempting engines to choose from. To start, just two will be available – a 280bhp 2.0-litre turbo-petrol and a 210bhp 2.1-litre diesel. Later, a less powerful 200bhp petrol will arrive, plus 150bhp and 180bhp versions of the diesel.
All engines are combined with an eight-speed automatic gearbox; a manual isn’t even an option. Initially all models also come with four-wheel drive, though Alfa says it plans to offer an entry-level two-wheel drive later.
The fastest engine, for now, is the 280bhp 2.0-litre turbo that can get
from 0 to 60mph in just 5.7 seconds – more than a second quicker than the equivalent Porsche Macan.
Towards the end of 2017 an even faster Stelvio Quadrifoglio will be offered with a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 with more than 500bhp which will help the Alfa SUV be easily one of the fastest mid-sized SUVs ever.
If you have an eye on running costs though you’ll be better off with the diesels, which are expected to account for 80 per cent of all Stelvio sales. Even the initial 2.1-litre model, which can reach 60mph in a rapid 6.6 seconds, still averages 58.9mpg. A plug-in hybrid will also join the range next year with a 30-mile-plus electriconly range.
If you can live with the fuel consumption then the petrol is the better of the two engines. It’s not the quietest of motors and at low revs the turbocharged 2.0-litre can sound a little coarse, but get past that and it spins sweetly and offers all the performance you’ll ever need. Overall the eight-speed auto is a good match, although in the petrol it was too hesitant to drop down a gear while in the diesel ironically it was too slow to react.
WHAT you will enjoy are the quick steering, the general balance and the agility that the Stelvio offers to keen drivers. Not quite as impressive are the brakes – they’re powerful enough, but it can be difficult to brake smoothly at slower speeds.
Engineers have had a field day developing it. Using weight-saving materials such as aluminium to make the bonnet, suspension, rear body and numerous other parts, the result is a car that tips the scales at 1,660kg – more than 100kg lighter than the equivalent Jaguar F-Pace. On the road this makes the Stelvio feel more like a powerful rear-drive saloon than an SUV. It gets more impressive on a twisting road. The Stelvio corners flat with little body roll.
Of course there is a pay-off for this athleticism and it is felt in the ride. As soon as the road surface degrades the Alfa’s ride gets very busy to such an extent we would worry about choosing big 20-inch wheels. Alfa will soon offer the option of adaptive dampers which should come with a softer setting and will help calm the ride over our typical British roads.
However it is inside the cabin where the case for the Stelvio begins to wobble. Make no mistake, the new SUV has the best interior of any Alfa we’ve ever driven. There’s plenty of room in both the front and rear, where passengers get plenty of legroom and headroom, plus at 525 litres the boot’s big too. But the Stelvio is let down because it doesn’t feel as well finished as its rivals.
An Audi Q5 beats it hands down for quality and even the far cheaper VW Tiguan gives a better impression of an expensive car. Perhaps worse, even the largest 8.8-inch infotainment system feels dated, is too fiddly to use and is missing tech such as on-board wifi that’s fast becoming commonplace.
All models in the UK are likely to come with emergency autonomous braking that detects pedestrians, along with blind-spot and crosstraffic detection also standard. The Stelvio is also set to come with plenty of kit and be priced on a par with the BMW X3, we’re told. But would you be mad to buy one over the German? We don’t think so.
If you can forfeit some tech the Stelvio is an Alfa that can live up to its looks. Think of it as a fun-todrive Porsche Macan that’s likely to cost thousands less.
Finally a worthy comeback for the famous Italian brand.