Alfa’s a hot new SUV with knobs on

LOADS of cars have a mode selector knob that allows you to switch between different settings for the engine, gearbox, steering and, in many cases, the exhaust noise.

Quite often they’re a gimmick because car company marketing people think it’s sexy to have Sports, Normal and Comfort settings in your car – even if it’s a small hatchback that couldn’t outaccelerate the family lawn mower.

This week’s road test subject has such a knob. It’s marked D, N and A. D is for Dynamic, N is for Natural and A is for Advanced Efficiency. Oh, I left one out: there’s also a RACE setting.

The car is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio and when you start fiddling with that knob, dramatic things happen. This particular mode control is most certainly not for show.

This hottest version of Alfa’s SUV uses the same 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 that’s used in the Giulia saloon. It has the same power too, which means 510bhp.

The engine is made by Ferrari – and it shows. Unlike the saloon, the Stelvio has four-wheel drive.

Alfa has kept the car’s weight Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio five-door SUV

Price: £69,500

Engine: 2.9-litre V6, 510bhp 0-62mph: 3.8sec

Fuel consumption: 24.0mpg

down by using aluminium for the boot, doors, and front and rear wings, plus carbon fibre for the prop shaft. It still weighs a smidge over 1,800kg, but that’s lighter than most of its rivals. It’s 200kg more than the Guilia saloon but the Stelvio is quicker from 0-62mph thanks to the fact it puts its power through four wheels.

It has a top speed of 176mph and a 0-62mph time of 3.8sec.