The Stelvio SUV is very possibly the most important car in Alfa Romeo's 105-year history, according to company boss Reid Bigland.
But if that sounds like hyperbole given Alfa’s illustrious past, then consider this; the Stelvio will account for more than half of all Alfa sales globally once it hits the street later this year – and in the process it will transform Alfa into a major world player in the premium segment. It’ll spearhead a fresh new marketing push, not just into the USA but also China and all of Asia as well.
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In the UK it could even account for as much as two thirds of Alfa sales over the next five years, so it's a fundamental car for the famous old Italian car brand.
Based heavily on the underpinnings of the well received Giulia saloon, the Stelvio will initially come with two engine choices in the UK; a 2.0-litre turbo petrol unit with 276bhp and 400Nm, or a 2.2-litre diesel with 207bhp and 470Nm. Both versions will come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard, with a manual not even available as an option. Both will be all-wheel-drive, featuring the same clever Q4 system pioneered on the Giulia.
Eventually a more potent 503bhp flagship will join the mainstays – using the same Ferrari-derived V6 twin-turbo as the Giulia Quadrifoglio. The 0-62mph sprint for this £60,000-plus mega Stelvio will be under four seconds, says Alfa, but it won’t go on sale here until 2018.
So for the time being, Stelvio cutomers will have to make do with the two versions we’ve driven here. So, what are they like? We tried the petrol version to begin with and the first thing that struck us, long before moving away in it, was how well made it felt from behind the wheel. The dash architecture is almost identical to the Giulia’s, with a central infotainment screen to the side of the two main instruments.
There’s more than a whiff of junior Maserati to the interior design, and the sense of quality is in a different league from Alfa’s of old. The driving position is 190mm higher than in the Giulia, but you don’t feel to be perched up too high in the Stelvio. The balance between increased SUV visibility and snug sportiness is about right, in fact, much like it is in the Porsche Macan.
Space in the rear seats is good but not class leading, with room for a six-foot rear passenger behind a similarly-sized driver, but no real luxuriant sense of space. The boot however is as big and usable as it gets at this level, featuring split seats and impressive height and width. In typical Alfa fashion, no exact measurements have been given.
On the move, the Stelvio displays a lightness of touch that is initially quite surprising for an SUV – even a small sporting one such as this. The electric power steering is ultra-light in its weighting but also very direct, while the ride is excellent. Body roll is extremely well controlled – to the point of virtual non-existence in most corners.
Performance from the 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine is strong but not mind boggling, despite Alfa’s claim of 0-62mph in just 5.7 seconds. But even if it never feels that quick, there is little lag and a healthy shove of acceleration in the mid-range. The sound from the engine is a touch disappointing, despite the car’s dreaded noise amplification system, while the way it refuses to rev much beyond 6,000rpm before the limiter intrudes is frustrating, too. Both aspects are the result of having to adhere to increasingly strict emissions regulations, say the engineers.
What does work very well indeed, though, is the eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox. In automatic mode it’s as smooth and seamless as you could want, and in manual it provides an extra hit of driver control, with smooth but fast changes occurring at the flick of a paddle.
The diesel Stelvio is the one to go for, though. Although it has less power than the petrol, there’s a chunk more torque on tap, which lends the Stelvio a deeper level of performance where it counts. And because there’s little or no trade off against the petrol in terms of engine and exhaust noise, the diesel’s extra torque mated to its superior economy means it has the edge overall.
Speaking of which, on paper the Stevlio diesel actually surpasses its German rivals for efficiency; Alfa says the 2.2 diesel will emit just 127g/km of CO2. A less-powerful Audi Q5 puts out 132g/km, while the ageing BMW X3 xDrive 20d emits a less pleasing 142g/km. Even the petrol-powered Alfa will return 40mpg with 161g/km CO2 emissions.
UK prices and specs are yet to be revealed but Alfa tells us all Stelvios will come with a contemporary infotainment system. The car we drove had the larger seven-inch setup, which was intuitive to use and full of functionality. The screen also displays info about the DNA dynamic drive programme that alters the parameters for the steering, suspension, throttle map and so on.
We’re told that only the top versions will come with leather seats, which is a shame given a number of rivals feature such luxury features across the board. Inside there's a high quality mix of aluminium, real wood, leather and fabrics, however – again differing in style from version to version. All will have either standard or optional Forward Collision warning, blind spot monitoring, active cruise control and rear cross path detection.
- Model: Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2.2 diesel
- Price: From £33,000 (est)
- Engine: 2.2-litre 4cyl diesel
- Power/torque: 207bhp/470Nm
- Transmission: Eight-speed auto, four-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 6.6 seconds
- Top speed: 134mph
- Economy/CO2: 58.8mpg/127g/km
- On sale: Now