Alfa Romeo Stelvio
AFTER A CENTURY IN BUSINESS, ALFA GETS ROUND TO BUILDING AN SUV. AND IT’S BASED ON THE GIULIA...
How unnervingly refreshing it is for TopGear to bring you news of an all-new Alfa Romeo – the frst SUV ever to carry the Alfa name, no less – and not have to awkwardly tiptoe around the likelihood that it’ll probably be a bit… rubbish. The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio (cor, Alfa’s in a sweet spot with car names right now, isn’t it?) is heavily based upon the foundations for the Giulia saloon (see what we mean?), which ripped up the formbook earlier in the year by actually being good. Better than that, in fact. A genuine contender versus the likes of BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes (see p149). So its taller sibling has a headstart in life.
The Stelvio’s reveal strategy is following the same tried-and-tested template that worked for the 3-Series-sized saloon too. The worthy diesels with their polite CO2 emissions and doubtless tempting monthly repayment schemes are being held in the wings. Instead, we frst get to clap eyes on the fagship, the range-topper, the fast one. This is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio Verde.
That mouthful means it relies on the same mechanicals as the Giulia QV saloon, which in turn means this is a family SUV powered by what is to a certain extent a Ferrari engine. Alfa doesn’t like the association (Ferrari even less so, you’ll be thoroughly unsurprised to learn), preferring to pigeonhole the twinturbocharged, 2.9-litre V6 as “inspired by Ferrari technologies and know-how”. But in broader engineering terms, you’re getting a fve-seat family SUV pushed along by three-quarters of a Ferrari California T’s bi-turbo V8. Some pedigree.
Alfa’s not yet revealed how quickly the V6’s 503bhp will get you from 0–62mph and beyond, but Porsche Macan Turbos and Jaguar F-Paces could be fendishly outgunned if the Stelvio can nail all that power onto the road.
In charge of such an important duty is an adaptive Q4 all-wheel-drive system that keeps the Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100 per cent rear-wheel-drive most of the time, reducing friction and hopefully making for serious chuckability. Go for a hard launch or breach the limits of talent, and up to 50 per cent of drive is shared with the front wheels. Meanwhile, the car can deploy two rear axle clutches to vector torque to the rear wheels, increasing turn-in agility, staving
“Go for a hard launch, and up to 50 per cent of drive is shared with the front wheels”
“This may well be the car that secures Alfa Romeo’s future”
of understeer and potentially making this the Ford Focus RS of family 4x4s. Not that you’d catch us dreaming of conducting such immature behaviour. Not in an SUV. Oh no.
Of course, there will be more sensible Stelvios for more sensible folks. Diesels for sure, and Alfa’s confrmed it’ll ofer a 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol motor good for 276bhp and 295lb ft, connected to the same eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox as the Quadrifoglio.
It’ll also have the tri-mode DNA switch for remapping steering, throttle and gearbox response, but does without the Race mode kept for the hottest Stelvio, which unlocks 150-millisecond shifts from the transmission. And, hopefully, a suitably Italian roar from the V6. If you’re still not sold on the fact this is pitching to be very much at the handy driving end of the 4x4 spectrum, then digest the fact Alfa’s ofering carbon-ceramic brakes on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Until now that’d been the preserve of only the toppiest Porsche and Bentley super-tanks.
Inside, the Stelvio shares much of its cabin design with the Giulia, including the 8.8-inch media screen operated by the rotary dial on the centre tunnel. Carbon-fbre trim is available to match the exterior detailing, or you can have some wood if you’re the sort of person who likes to pour orange squash on your cornfakes.
At 4,680mm long, the Stelvio’s right in the Macan’s ballpark, though it’s slightly taller at 1,650mm. It ought to weigh less than the Porsche, thanks to a carbon driveshaft, allaluminium engine, and aluminium bonnet, boot, doors and suspension. But more than that, given the buying public’s enthusiasm for the Macan, Jaguar’s F-Pace, the Land Rover Evoque and other crossovers, this, rather than the Giulia saloon itself, may well be the car that secures Alfa Romeo’s future.