Thinking of getting a Alfa Romeo Stelvio?
The style of the car
The Stelvio is a mid-size, five-door SUV. It’s sleeker and more stylish than many similar cars, yet there’s still enough space inside for five adults and the boot is very big. The interior is as stylish as the exterior, too. The high-performance Stelvio Quadrifoglio has more aggressive styling to show the power it has.
How it drives
The Stelvio is an easy car to drive. It’s not too big, the view out’s great, the steering’s light. All models have an automatic gearbox. The petrol and diesel engines are powerful and give very good acceleration. Parking is easy, with parking sensors and a rear view camera to help. Most models have four-wheel-drive, which is reassuring in slippery conditions. It’s capable off-road and over rough ground, too. Depending on the model, it can tow 1600kg to 2300kg. The Stelvio feels safe and secure on the motorway, but it’s a lot of fun on a twisty road, too. The Quadrifoglio is even more fun and very fast.
The interior
The Stelvio is a mid-size SUV with five doors and five seats. While not that big by SUV standards, it’s still quite a large car so has lots of interior space. The seats are comfortable and supportive. There’s a lot of headroom and legroom for every passenger, though the middle back seat is narrow and only really suitable for children. A family of four should be very comfortable. The boot is big enough for five medium suitcases and the rear seats fold down for extra space. The interior looks great and has some useful storage spaces. All models come very well equipped with two-zone climate control, sat nav, cruise control, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Higher-spec models add leather seats and more advanced driver safety systems.
Running costs and reliability
The Stelvio costs less than some similar cars but comes better equipped. There are many engines to choose from, so fuel economy depends on which you choose. According to official figures, diesel engines return 50-60mpg and petrol engines return 25-40mpg. Most models are in insurance groups 29-36, so insurance should be affordable. (The Quadrifoglio is in group 50.) Reliability and quality is good, but electrical issues can come up. Servicing costs are generally affordable. Euro NCAP gave the Stelvio a top five-star safety rating.
How it compares with similar cars
The Stelvio’s main rivals are the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. There’s not much difference between them all in terms of practicality but the Audi, BMW and Mercedes have a more premium feel. The Stelvio, though, is especially stylish and enjoyable to drive.
