Not the peak (still a blinder)
One step down from the big-money Quadrifoglio, is ours the Stelvio to buy? By Mark Walton
Stelvio. Go on, say it. In fact, say it with an exclamation mark. Stelvio! The Alfa Stelvio! What a great name, a classic Alfa name, a name so good it’s a wonder it’s never been used before. I think from now on all Alfa Romeos should be named after legendary mountain passes: the Alfa Turini, the Alfa Furka. Maybe a future model could be named after that great pass in the Yorkshire Dales: the Alfa Buttertubs.
Actually that doesn’t work. Moving on.
So we’re agreed the Stelvio has an awesome name, and because I’m shallow I’m already enjoying casually slipping it into conversations at dinner parties, because I think it makes me sound so stylish and Italian. ‘Yes, I drive an Alfa Romeo Stelvio,’ I say, with a slight accent.
Which means Alfa’s new SUV passes a crucial first test: it’s a cool car to own and a cool car to admit to driving; but what about the more meaty substance? Does the Stelvio follow the Giulia saloon in being a proper, well engineered alternative to the German mainstream? Can it live up to the positive launch reviews it garnered back in 2017?
CAR described it as ‘borderline brilliant’ on first acquaintance. Bold. Then, late last year, Chris Chilton compared the top-of-therange Stelvio Quadrifoglio with the Macan Turbo, and declared the Alfa the winner. Brave.
To find out if the Stelvio stands up to closer scrutiny, we’re driving this example for the next six months, living with it every day and drilling deeper into its character.
Alfa’s SUV is available with five engine options: there are two 2.2 diesels (a 187bhp and a 207bhp); two 2.0-litre petrols (197 and 276bhp); plus the 503bhp turbo V6 Quadrifoglio, of course.
Trim on the non-Quadrifoglio models comes in four levels: Super, Nero, Speciale and the top-spec Milano Edizione. Ours is a 207bhp diesel in top spec, which means our car retails at £45,590. It’s finished in Alfa Red paint with a black leather interior, both standard specification on this trim level, and I think the car looks great.
The stand-out feature has got to be those optional 20-inch wheels, which look absolutely sensational – like they belong on a Lamborghini supercar rather than an SUV. I also love the mad-staring bi-xenon ⊲
The Stelvio is clearly at the performance end – rather than the farmyard end – of the SUV spectrum
headlights. A Stelvio in Super trim, which has halogen lights and 18-inch wheels, looks very different from this one.
All Stelvios come with the rear-biased Q4 drivetrain and an eight-speed automatic box, so no dicult configurator choices there. Along with another couple of relatively minor extras (see above) our car comes in at £47,510.
First impressions: I love the Stelvio’s interior. The dashboard may be stolen straight from the Giulia, but that’s no bad thing – overall, the cabin has a clean, modern ambience (though you can spec the dash with retro walnut, believe it or not). It has a sporty steering wheel with a pushbutton start; tactile rotary heater controls that feel properly premium; lovely textures and fonts everywhere; and all the usual connective tech. True, the seven-inch colour screen at the centre of the dash looks surprisingly small, compared to the wide multi-screens of the latest Audis and Jaguars, but it seems to work fine – I’ll let you know how I get on with the technology in a future report.
Otherwise, the Stelvio certainly drives well – it’s clearly at the performance end (rather than the farmyard end) of the SUV spectrum. The driving position and handling are close to the Giulia’s, it’s grippy and satisfyingly fast too. If I have one disappointment so far it’s the sound of the four-cylinder engine – I know, it’s a turbodiesel, so it’s unrealistic to expect it to sound good, but I wish there was just a little more life in its lacklustre drone.
Otherwise, it’s been a solid start from our Alfa Stelvio, and I’m looking forward to getting some solid miles under those pretty 20-inch wheels. Maybe I should do an epic tour of all the great mountain passes of Europe? Buttertubs here I come.