With svelte styling, a quality interior, sharp handling and a range of efficient engines, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a competent SUV that’s up against some very established competition – cars like the Mercedes GLC, BMW X3, Jaguar F-Pace and even the Porsche Macan.
Later in 2017 there will be a complete range that should appeal to families, company car drivers and even performance fans thanks to a wide range of efficient petrol and diesel engines including a super hot Quadrifoglio version with 503bhp.
Along with its near mechanically identical sister – the Giulia compact executive saloon – the Stelvio is a product of Alfa Romeo turning over a new leaf. With new platforms, engines, on-board technology and a new styling direction, it’s fair to say the Giulia and the Stelvio are make or break cars for the charismatic Italian brand.
• Best 4x4s and SUVs on sale right now
The Giulia has all the ingredients to be a success; on early inspection the Stelvio, due on sale in late summer 2017, should follow its sister and finally make Alfa Romeo a credible rival to premium German brands and Jaguar.
Just like the Giulia, the Stelvio features a really attractive and smart interior. Along with a new exterior design direction for the Italian brand, the interior marks a new approach too – one that fuses modern technology with typical Italian flare and key design cues from past Alfa models.
The dashboard design is taken straight from the Giulia, with the only exception being the steering angle and certain other parts adapted for an SUV. So that means a really minimalist design that’s angled towards the driver. Like Jaguar, Alfa has chosen to go for an infotainment system that sits within the dash as opposed to be ‘perched’ on top like Mercedes, Audi and BMW.
Depending upon the model and option packs you go for, the interior can be made even smarter and more charming with real metal and wood inlays – the sweep of real wood across the centre of the dash is a particular highlight. There’s also the option of different shades of leather – from traditional black to sporty red and Italianate tan.
Specifications haven’t been confirmed yet but you can expect the Stelvio to mirror the Giulia. So the basic ‘Stelvio’ model should get a 6.5-inch colour infotainment screen, DAB, ambient lighting, an electric tailgate, rear parking sensors and the Giulia’s roster of safety kit all thrown in. That safety quota includes features such as autonomous emergency braking and lane departure warning.
Higher up the range will be a larger 8.0-inch infotainment screen, leather seats and sat nav. It would seem leather and sat nav won’t be offered as standard despite rivals throwing this in across the board.
The quality of materials is impressive rather than outstanding. Compared to Alfa’s more recent efforts it’s a substantial step-change and the Stelvio feels robust and durable. However, compared to an Audi Q5, the Stelvio feels just a small step behind. Features like the poor infotainment screen resolution and the a cheap feeling rotary controller for the system are minor problems but highlight the disparity with German rivals. Overall, quality is more that adequate and will please most buyers.
Sat-nav, stereo and infotainment
Final specifications have yet to be confirmed but the entry level Stelvio will come with a 6.5-inch screen featuring a DAB radio, Bluetooth, AUX-in and USB connections for music streaming. The screen is built into the dash and looks attractive enough – it’s just a shame that the screen is a little cloudy in appearance and isn’t as sharp as systems offered in German rivals.
Higher-up models will offer a larger 8.0-inch screen with sat-nav – despite rivals like the BMW X3 and Jaguar F-Pace offering nav as standard equipment. Whether it’s the small or large infotainment system there’s an Audi-like dial to control it with shortcut buttons – it’s works intuitively enough but is slightly spoilt by cheap-feeling plastic it’s fashioned from. The sat-nav system is also TomTom-based which feels a little downmarket next to BMW’s, Audi’s, Mercedes’ and Jaguar’s bespoke systems.
The Stelvio and its sister car the Giulia are brand new sheets of paper for Alfa Romeo, and as such the company has made sure both cars are as competent as possible.
One such area is the handling – not only are the suspension and sub-frames made from aluminium but also the bonnet, doors and the tailgate. It weighs just 1,659kg (with fluids) and that’s more than 100kg lighter than the Jaguar F-Pace – a car that is already made substantially from aluminum – and the Stelvio also has 50:50 weight distribution. As such the Alfa is the lightest in its class and coupled with impressive levels of structural rigidity, it translates to excellent handling characteristics.
Most Alfa Stelvios sold in the UK will probably be the all-wheel drive Q4 versions with the rear-wheel drive models propping up sales, but that doesn’t mean Q4 owners will miss out on the fun. The Stelvio is an inherently rear-wheel drive car – the all-wheel drive system sends power to the rear wheels 100 per cent of the time, and only splits the power between the axles with an electronic clutch when the car slides.
It means the Stelvio is huge fun to drive. The agile chassis and rear-wheel drive biased set-up is one thing, but the Stelvio also has crisp, sharp steering too. Perhaps not as ‘feelsome’ as a Jaguar F-Pace’s or a Porsche Macan’s, the Stelvio’s steering isn’t far behind – turn into a corner and there’s more artificial resistance than feedback from the road but it’s still a good sensation and gives confidence. The Stelvio changes direction sweetly and thanks to the fancy weight-saving materials used, it feels light on its feet too.
To make the Stelvio handle much like the Giulia saloon, Alfa’s engineers have given the Stelvio stiffer springs. It means that while you sit 190mm higher than in the Giulia, the Stelvio has the cornering characteristics of the lower-to-the-ground saloon. The downside is that the ride is a little harder than it should be for an SUV. Even on some smooth tarmac in Switzerland, the Stelvio felt jittery and a little flustered. But Alfa insists that like the Macan and F-Pace the Stelvio is a road-based SUV – it eschews off-road driving modes of the type you’d find on a Land Rover Discovery Sport, however there is a downhill descent system on the Stelvio.
Alfa is very proud of the fact the Stelvio was designed from the outset to have a range of powertrains – from efficient to diesel to a fire-breathing Mercedes-AMG-baiting Quadrifoglio version. So, along with the lightweight aluminum parts, all Stelvios get a carbon fibre prop-shaft – something that’s unheard off for all versions across a model range. It’s a clear signal that buyers won’t have to wait too long for the 503bhp Quadrifoglio to arrive after the ‘cooking’ petrol and diesel models.
Engines
Until Alfa Romeo releases full specifications, pricing, performance and economy data for the Stelvio, details are a little thin on the ground. What we do know for the time being is that the initial engine range will consist of two petrols and one diesel – although the diesel range could stretch to three.
The petrol range includes a 2.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo petrol with an impressive power output of 276bhp and 400Nm of torque. Naturally with such figures it’s a very punchy unit with the full engine’s power being felt from just over 2,000rpm with 0-62mph coming up in 5.7 seconds and a top speed of 143mph. Q4 all-wheel drive is expected as standard but the noise from the engine could be a little better considering this is the ‘warm’ version – an SUV with 276bhp should have a soundtrack to match its impressive performance
Topping the petrol range is the Quadrifoglio. Featuring racy styling, carbon ceramic brakes and a 2.9-litre V6 engine developed by Ferrari, the Quadrifoglio will be a rare but interesting sight on British roads. It’ll be quick too – the V6 develops 503bhp and features launch control and all-wheel drive.
It’s the diesel that will tempt most buyers though. The 207bhp 2.2-litre unit is used in a variety of Fiat Group cars most notably the Alfa Giulia saloon, and it’s a decent engine. It pulls strongly and despite it being a four-cylinder it’s surprisingly refined – more so than Jaguar’s equivalent 2.0-litre Ingenium diesel. In the UK it’ll likely be offered as standard with Q4 all-wheel drive; European buyers will be offered a lower powered 148bhp 2.2 with rear-wheel drive and a 178bhp Q4 version and while these are unconfirmed for the UK, they are likely be made available here to tempt company car drivers away from comparable Jaguar F-Paces, Audi Q5s and Mercedes GLCs.
All cars come with a ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox – the same type BMW uses in the X3 and Jaguar in the F-Pace. It’s a good combination with the engines we’ve tried and delivers quick and sharp gear changes. A worthy upgrade is to go for the aluminium paddles on the steering column that add a level of tactility lacking in all the Stelvio’s rivals – those cars that tend to use nasty plastic paddles on the back of their steering wheels.
As mentioned elsewhere in this review specifications haven’t been confirmed. This has an effect on the final Euro NCAP rating, but we can presume it will have a high safety rating if its sister car the Giulia saloon is to go by – the Giulia is safer than a Volvo XC90 according to NCAP. Both models share key components, construction and safety features.
With the Giulia and Stelvio featuring brand new platforms and technology, it’s too early to comment on reliability, but judging by recent Driver Power surveys Alfa Romeos are as reliable as the competition – despite a brand image that says otherwise – but it’s the dealer network that disappoints.
Most cars in this class carry two occupants with the rear seats used to occasionally carry children. The good news is that the Stelvio offers a decent amount of space inside – it’s not sparkling but it matches the competition.
Up front is wide and spacious, there’s a good amount of headroom even for six-footers and visibility is fine thanks to thin-ish pillars. The same can almost be said in the rear too – most adults will find comfort despite the sloping roofline, although six-footers’ knees may brush the backs of the seats. In terms of boot room, the Stelvio sits in the middle of its rivals for on-paper space and offers a large, flat and square loading area. This can be made larger with the 40:20:40 folding rear seats.
For storage the Stelvio scores pretty highly. There are large door pockets for water bottles and other oddments, there are a couple of cupholders ahead of the gearlever along with a USB charging port. The glovebox is of a decent size, as is the space under the centre armrest. In the back there are large door pockets too.
Size
The Stelvio is one of the longest cars in the class – the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC are all slightly shorter with only the F-Pace being marginally longer than the Alfa. The same can be said for width too – the Stelvio is slightly wider than its German rivals. Along with the GLC though, the Stelvio is shorter than the Q5, X3 and F-Pace. Again, further proof, Alfa has built the Stelvio to fit in the middle of the competition in most areas.
Legroom, headroom and passenger space
Interior space is pretty good for a sporty SUV – it’s more-or-less average for the class rather than exceeding rivals but given the sporting focus of the Stelvio, it’s hard to argue with that. Stick four six-footers inside the Alfa and the two rear passengers would have their knees brushing the backs of the front seats a little. Headroom is okay but that’s due to the sloping roof – a feature that’s been designed to make the Stelvio look sporty.
Due to the Stelvio being positioned as a sporty SUV rather than a family one, there are no clever rear seats – they don’t slide or recline to allow more space. They do fold 40:20:40 to give more boot space, however.
Boot space
As in many areas, the Stelvio fits in the middle when compared to its rivals. So with a boot sizing up at 525 litres, the Stelvio is larger than the Porsche Macan but a little way off the BMW X3. Once the standard electric tailgate has been raised it reveals a usefully large boot that’s well shaped. There’s no lip and when the seats are folded there’s no step to lug items over. Sadly there are no thoughtful touches like underfloor storage, hooks or netting to store loose or bulky items.
We don’t know the full performance and fuel economy figures for the Stelvio range, but the diesel is looking promising. Initial published figures for the 178bhp diesel – which could yet change – are promising though.
Preliminary data shows the Stelvio diesel actually surpasses its German rivals for efficiency – the diesel should emit just 127g/km of CO2. A less-powerful Audi Q5 pushes out 132g/km, while the older BMW X3 xDrive 20d emits 142g/km. Expected combined economy for the Stelvio diesel is 58.8mpg which is on par with rivals. Even the 2.0-litre petrol-powered Alfa will return 40mpg with 161g/km CO2 emissions.
Naturally, the Quadrifoglio version with its 503bhp 2.9-litre V6 petrol engine will be the least frugal and the most costly to tax version – but expect it to be comparable to a Porsche Macan and the forthcoming Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S.