Eternal sunshine of the flawless Alfa
The everyday becomes exceptional when your commuter transport is something as astoundingly good as the Stelvio.
Living with an Alfa Romeo for a few months has been a real pleasure. I’m a naturally cynical person, but even I can’t help falling for the brand’s charisma. Yes, it’s true that in the ’70s the Alfasud rusted faster than a bent nail and had a wiring loom made of spaghetti. Yes, in the ’80s Alfa sold the heinous Arna, a rebadged Nissan Cherry with all the charm of a filing cabinet. And yes, in the ’90s it assembled parts-bin Fiats after being absorbed by the Italian mothership in 1986. Yet despite all of this, something romantic still resides in the Alfa Romeo badge – something a Ford or a Hyundai could never aspire to.
Part of it, for me personally, is the trip I took to Turin in 2015 to see the new Giulia and meet Lorenzo Ramaciotto, the former Pininfarina designer who oversaw the design of the then-new Alfa sports saloon (CAR, November 2015). Ramaciotto told me about the ‘skunk works’, assembled under ex-Ferrari engineer Philippe Krief, by order of Sergio Marchionne, which developed the car from the ground up, clean sheet of paper, no compromises.
I fell in love with both the Giulia and this bold, resurgent Alfa Romeo brand right there.
Of course the taller Stelvio doesn’t have the proportions or dynamics of the saloon, but the SUV shares enough of the Giulia’s muscular magic to do the trick: the rear-biased, four-wheel-drive chassis, the styling, the interior. I was ready and willing to be won over by the Stelvio, and it hasn’t disappointed.
I still love the way it looks. Even though I’ve driven it every day, I still notice this car. I’ll glimpse it from an upstairs window, parked outside our house, and stop to look for a couple of seconds. And I think ooooh. I suggest it’s the best-looking SUV you can buy.
It’s also great to drive. All the touch points feel premium: the steering wheel, the leather seats, the stalks, switches and paddles. Our 207bhp 2.2 turbodiesel feels a bit ordinary if you’re in N (for Natural) mode, but switch the DNA system to D (for Dynamic) and it dramatically lifts the car’s responses, making it feel quick and sharp. My only gripe is that the DNA system resets to N every time you switch off and restart. Every day I had to put it back into D because it’s a much more fun, engaging car that way. Alfa should allow the system to remember your last setting.
Hey, but maybe you’re not
Our Stelvio won over every passenger who’s climbed into it over the last eight months, bar none
willing to take my word for any of this, because you think I was bought cheaply by an Easyjet flight to Turin and a lunch with my hero Lorenzo Ramaciotto? So let me tell you, our Stelvio also won over every passenger who’s climbed into it over the last eight months, bar none. Seriously – everyone commented on the interior or the seats, the ride or the handling. Most had never been in an Alfa before, and its all-round comfort and competence, combined with the sporty Italian style, always prompted a comment.
And that’s the Stelvio’s strongest card: it’s not French or German or Korean, it’s not another Land Rover. Ours was the only red Alfa among all the silver and grey SUVs at school drop-off.
I liked that – driving something different, something interesting. The Alfa Stelvio follows closely in the footsteps of the Giulia, in offering a real alternative to all those obvious choices. I’d recommend it.