Alfa Romeo Stelvio: the 3/4 Ferrari SUV

Monday, 29 April 2019

**ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO

Base price:** $144,990

Powertrain and performance: 2.9-litre turbo-petrol V6, 375kW/600Nm, 8-speed automatic, AWD, Combined economy 10.2 litres per 100km.

Vital statistics: 4701mm long, 1689mm high, 2818mm wheelbase, luggage capacity 525 litres, 20-inch alloy wheels with 255/45 tyres front, 285/40 rear.

We like: Stunningly good engine and transmission. Razor sharp responses. Looks sensational

We don't like: Poor infotainment system. Build quality nowhere near as good as rivals. Can only have full-noise exhaust in Race mode.

Super-SUVs that can scream to the legal limit in less than four seconds are almost commonplace these days. And Alfa Romeo has joined the party with a Quadrifoglio version of the Stelvio now too. Why? No idea, they don't make sense. But the Stelvio looks sensational, handles remarkably well and is incredibly fast, so that is good.

Is this one currently the fastest SUV around the Nurburgring?

It was, for a while at least, until the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S knocked it off to claim the single most meaningless statistic for an SUV.

Supercar performance from a family-friendly SUV? Yep, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio can do that.

* Is this the alpha-SUV in the medium segment?

* AMG beats Alfa's SUV Nurburgring lap record**

But it is still a pretty staggering statistic, considering that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio's 7 minute 51.7 second lap time (that easily eclipsed the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S's previous record by more than 8 seconds) is actually faster than times cars like the Lamborghini Gallardo, Ferrari F430 and Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren were doing in the early 2000s.

That also means that this is an 1800kg SUV that is only 7.9 seconds slower than the seriously fast and extremely sharp Honda Civic Type-R around the legendary circuit. And most incredibly, it is an 1800kg SUV that is also capable of being remarkably docile and usable around town as well.

While its ride is consistently firm, it is never intrusive or uncomfortable, and the engine is an absolute gem of a thing at any speed.

So it's all about the engine then?

Dear Lord that engine is superb!

After all, it is essentially the turbo V8 from the old Ferrari California T with two cylinders lopped off, so it should be.

The 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 is 3/4 of a Ferrari V8. And it feels like it.

But, no, it's not just about the engine - which is a sublimely screaming, howling beast of a thing - it also has an equally superb transmission to match.

During normal, boring everyday driving, the V6 is smooth and incredibly flexible, capable of simply wafting around town giving no hint of the brutal performance on offer. The transmission is a smooth, slick shifter that, while occasionally suffering from the need to hunt a bit unnecessarily through the gears, largely does an admirable job of being a responsible adult.

Wind everything up to maximum attack however and things go feral fast. Real fast.

The four big exhaust pipes leave you in no doubt of the Quadrifoglio's intentions.

Alfa Romeo claim the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will scarper to the legal speed limit in 3.8 seconds and, while it lacks something like the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S or Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk's big V8 slam from a standing start, it gets ferociously fast once it gets a bit of room to breath.

The further you go up in the revs, the more ferocious the Stelvio gets, standing it in stark contrast to its V8 rivals, with a sound that gets more spine-tingling as it goes as well.

The transmission that was previously so civilised gets equally enraged and slams through the gears with a brutally ruthless efficiency, regardless of whether you are using the gorgeous big alloy paddles to shift yourself or simply leaving it to its own devices.

But it's still a high-riding SUV - what about when you come to a corner?

The interior is gorgeous, but the quality isn't up to the standards expected from a $145,000 car.

Don't worry - the Quadrifoglio is equally impressive when it comes to going around a corner as well and actually does the seemingly impossible by being a sporty SUV that actually feels like a sports car. Well, up until a point, that is.

Race mode? In an SUV? Yes, and it is spectacular too.

But it is a seriously high point, with the superbly sharp and precise steering with fantastic feel and weight being beautifully complimented by razor sharp turn in and wonderful mid-corner adjustability, thanks to the agile chassis and superb AWD system

You do hit that point eventually, but it isn't a point where things go bad, just a point where you remember that no matter how sporty it is - how damn good it is - it still has an SUVs centre of gravity, meaning that while it is deeply impressive, the Giulia Quadrifoglio sedan is still better. Raising the tantalising question of just how good would a Giulia with this AWD system be?

Does it do the cliched Alfa Romeo thing of still being slightly pants in some areas though?

Oh, yeah, of course it does.

Much like the fantastic Giulia, the interior quality of the Stelvio isn't quite where it should be in a $100,000+ car, while the infotainment system (with its tiny screen trying to pretend it isn't tiny) is severely lagging behind the opposition in functionality.

While the engine is superb, the actual view under the bonnet is messy and full of things that look like they could fall off at any moment, while the fact you can only have full antisocial exhaust noise in Race mode - that also switches all stability, traction and driver assist systems off as well - is disappointing.

But in terms of fun and sheer savage performance for the money asked, there isn't an SUV that can get near it.

Any other cars I should consider?

Right now there are only two Super-SUVs that come close to the Stelvio in terms of performance - the previously mentioned Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Trackhawk.

But where the Stelvio costs $144,990, the big Jeep is $169,990 and shaves just 0.1 of a second off the Alfa's 0-100 time, while the AMG is a hefty $185,700 (or $190,700 for the silly 'coupe' version) for the same result as the Alfa. Both, however, have magnificent V8 soundtracks and far superior interiors and build quality than the Alfa. Yes, even the Jeep.

BMW will have the X3M and X4M Competition models soon, with similar performance, but no prices have been announced yet, while nothing in the current Porsche Macan or Cayenne line ups can touch the Stelvio's bang for buck but, again, all easily exceed it in build quality.