First came the Maserati Levante, touted as the harbinger of the Sport Utility Vehicle to the Italian automotive landscape. While the outer flanks do have a hint of SUV versatility, the swoopy lines and trademark Trident driving characteristics are all intact, putting some Italian flair into an otherwise pedestrian segment of the car market.
It seems that that was only the beginning. That’s because fellow Italian automaker Alfa Romeo has just released its own take on the SUV, in the guise of the stunning new Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Named after one of the most famous driving roads in the Italian Alps, the Stelvio Pass, the sleek SUV hints at the kind of performance that is usually demanded of cars that can successfully tackle this 48-corner stretch of twisty road.
Buyers of the very first Alfa Romeo SUV can choose from three trim levels—the Stelvio, Stelvio Ti, and the Stelvio Quadrifoglio. The first two variants are powered by an all-aluminum 2.0-liter direct-injection turbo four-cylinder that puts out a rousing 280hp and 415Nm of torque. Strapped to an eight-speed automatic geabox, this combo is enough to rocket the SUV to 100kph from rest in just 5.4 seconds.
Apart from the stunning straight-line speed, the new Stelvio offers goodies like a carbon fiber driveshaft, dual exhausts, and standard 18-inch alloy wheels. Of course, luxury items come with the package, such as leather seats, power tailgate, reverse camera with backing sensors, and even an F1-inspired flat-bottom steering wheel with integrated pushbutton start. The Ti gets an 8.8-inch infotainment display, among others.
Being an Alfa, you can customize the performance via the three-mode Alfa DNA Selector that lets drivers choose between Natural, Dynamic, and Advance. Throw in the Alfa Romeo Q4 all-wheel drive system and you’ve got surefooted performance on any road condition.
But if this isn’t enough, the Italian automaker offers the iconic Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Befitting its moniker, this one gets a 2.9-liter direct-injection 24-valve bi-turbo V6 delivering 505hp and a stomp-pulling 600Nm of twist. That’s more than enough to blast the Stelvio from 0-100kph in just 3.9 ticks—rivaling the best sports cars Italy and Germany have to offer.
The Ferrari-derived engine is combined with cool tech goodies like a four-mode version of the DNA Selector, known as DNA Pro, now featuring a Race mode. It also gets torque vectoring differential, a Quadrifoglio-specific suspension setup, along with a model-exclusive instrument cluster, and a cylinder-deactivation technology, just to name a few.
Naturally, driving hardware and software help this SUV perform at its optimum best each and every time. A Q2 Mechanical Limited-slip differential, chassis domain control, integrated braking system, and Alfa active suspension are just some of the toys that make it capable of running with the best two-seat sports cars on the road today. Plus, you’ve got the stunning good looks and craftsmanship straight from the Casino plant in Italy and you’ve got one hot-blooded Italian SUV.
