Alfa Romeo Stelvio review

Most SUVs conveniently gloss over the fact that the "S" in their name stands for sports – but not the Alfa Romeo Stelvio we're reviewing here.

Its designers have leaned into the idea, especially with the range-topping Stelvio Quadrifoglio (QV), with its Ferrari-sourced, 512bhp V6 petrol engine and performance-tuned suspension and brakes. Here, though, we’re focusing on the rest of the Stelvio range. There are a few different trims to choose from, but all are powered by the same petrol engine packing 278bhp. 

That’s still no small number, and it hints that even entry-level Stelvios have a sporting edge. They also come with a premium price, putting the model in contention with premium opposition like the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and petrol Porsche Macan. 

Putting the sporty Stelvio QV aside, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is currently limited to just one engine option, unlike the BMW X3, Mercedes GLC and Porsche Macan that give you a few to choose from. What’s more, the X3 and GLC have plug-in hybrid versions, making them much more appealing to company car users. 

On the plus side, the Stelvio’s 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol is a good ‘un. With 276bhp, it’ll do 0-62mph in just 5.7sec, making it quicker than most rivals, including entry-level X3, GLC and Macan variants. 

The standard eight-speed automatic gearbox is excellent too. It’s smooth and responsive, and every Stelvio gets big, aluminium gearshift paddles behind the steering wheel. They’re satisfying to use and encourage you to select manual mode whenever a good road presents itself. 

As you might have guessed, the Stelvio has a sporty suspension setup. In other words, it leans on the firmer side. Around town, you’re jostling around in your seat a bit over bumps and potholes, more so than the softer GLC. We should mention that the impacts are never too intense, though. 

At higher speeds, the sports-oriented suspension set-up is at its best, dealing with crests and compressions with a fluency and finesse that's usually reserved for the best sports saloons.

It’s worth noting that adaptive suspension comes with the top-spec Intensa trim, and it allows you to choose between two modes. It doesn’t transform the experience – even the softer mode feels quite firm – but it is better. 

This is where the Stelvio really shines. Like the Alfa Romeo Giulia it's based on, it has quick, remarkably direct steering and a wonderfully precise front end. The four-wheel-drive system is great, too. It only helps enhance the Stelvio’s impressive agility – it’s there to do more than simply give you extra security when it’s wet or muddy. 

All in all, the Stelvio is fun and engaging to drive, feeling smaller and lighter than most SUVs, including the X3 and (by a wider margin) the GLC. 

Sure, the Macan is an even sharper scalpel, but the Stelvio isn’t far behind – and if it’s playfulness you’re after, it’s actually the Stelvio that takes it. As for the Stelvio QV, that’s on a whole other level – it’s one of the best handling sports SUVs you can buy.

While the engine is hushed at a cruise, there's a little bit of wind noise – mostly around the mirrors and front pillars – and road noise is more intrusive than it is in the X3. The Stelvio never becomes quote unquote “loud”, though, even at motorway speeds. 

“It’s perhaps my personal favourite SUV to drive. I love the razor-sharp steering and the handling is super confidence inspiring.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Compared with some SUVs, like the Range Rover Velar, you sit quite low down in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. You could find that cause for criticism, but then again, the Stelvio is one of your sportier options and you could very well argue it suits it.

Finding your perfect driving position is easy because the driver’s seat has plenty of adjustment. If you go for Sprint trim, you’ll have to set it manually, but Veloce gives you electric adjustment and adjustable lumbar support. Steering-wheel adjustment isn’t quite as good, with plenty of rake adjustment but limited reach adjustment. 

Sitting behind the slim steering wheel, you’ll find a rich 12.3in digital driver's display. It can be switched between three different lay-outs: Evolved, Relax and Heritage, each placing more or less emphasis on particular driving instruments.

Everything on the dashboard has been sensibly positioned, with all the relevant knobs and buttons housed exactly where you’d expect. You even get physical controls for the air conditioning, which are much easier to use on the move than the digital ones you’ll find in the BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. 

Thick windscreen pillars make pulling out of junctions sometimes a bit tricky. Likewise, thick pillars also limit your view rearwards, an issue not helped by the narrow rear window. Over-the-shoulder visibility also isn’t great, meaning reversing can be tricky.

Fortunately, front and rear parking sensors and a rear-view camera are standard on all trims. You also get adaptive matrix LED headlights as standard that bend their light around approaching vehicles, which in turn allows you to leave your high beams on.

Every Stelvio has an 8.8in infotainment screen that you can control by touching the screen or by using a rotary dial mounted between the front seats. That means it's easier (and safer) to use when you're driving than the touchscreen-only system in the Volvo XC60.

The screen has quite a simple set-up, with a widget-style layout. However, the graphics are quite grainy and it’s still not swish enough to pull you away from plugging in your smartphone to use Android Auto or Apple CarPlay (included as standard). The BMW X3 – which also uses a rotary dial controller, but has much sharper graphics – remains the class leader here.

If you’re into your music, you might want to go for Veloce trim as it gives you the option of upgrading the standard eight-speaker stereo to a 900W Harman Kardon system with 14 speakers and a subwoofer. It’s available as part of a pack that, along with much better sound quality, adds a plush leather dashboard. This pack comes as standard on range-topping Intensa models.

Interior finish has always been a bit of a sticking point with Alfa Romeo. While the interior may generally look good, the buttons and dials you touch on the centre console feel a bit loose and the materials they're made of feel pretty cheap.

The tops of the dash and door cards use plenty of soft-touch materials, but the grain puts you in mind of an elephant’s bum, rather than a premium material befitting a family SUV. It badly needs the extended leather pack to be standard because it falls well short of class standards without it. Shame, really, because the standard-fit steering column-mounted aluminium paddle feel of extremely high quality.

All in all, the Stelvio still can’t match the outright quality of its German rivals (the petrol Porsche Macan is a great example), which excel in this area.

“It may look and feel a bit dated in places, but I like that all the controls are simple to use.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a pretty big vehicle and that's good news for front-seat occupants. There’s plenty of head room – even for taller drivers – and the seat goes back far enough for the longest of legs. It’s also wide enough to ensure you won’t be rubbing elbows with your passenger.

You’ll find a decent amount of storage up front, with door pockets that can hold a bottle of water and other assorted items, and a space in front of the gear selector with a couple of cupholders plus a 12V socket and USB port. There’s also plenty of storage under the centre armrest, including a wireless phone-charger as standard.

A six-footer will fit in the back seat behind a driver of similar height, but their knees will be very close to the front seats. 

The Stelvio's curved roofline eats into rear head room, but four adults of average height should be able to get comfy. If rear space is a priority, you’ll find more in the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Volvo XC60.

As for storage, the rear door pockets are smaller, but you can still get a small bottle of water in there. You also get a pair of cupholders in the rear armrest and a couple of USB sockets between the front seats.

Unlike some family SUVs, the Stelvio doesn’t offer rear seats that recline or slide backwards and forwards. They do split and fold in 40/20/40 segments though, which is much more flexible than the 60/40 arrangement in the XC60. 

What’s more, you get handy levers in the boot to fold the rear seats down without needing to open a side door. Once they’re down, the seat backs lay flat enough that there isn’t a step in the extended boot floor.

At 525 litres, the Stelvio's boot volume trumps the XC60's but isn’t spectacular compared with other cars in the class, failing to match the BMW X3. Even so, in the real world, it’ll be enough to easily swallow a good bulk buy from a supermarket.

The load area itself is a usefully square shape with no internal load lip but it’s a shame there aren’t more hooks for bags, or eyelets to hold loads down. It could also do with being wider and not having a large, exposed speaker taking up space, because both hinder the loading of a folded child’s pushchair or a set of golf clubs.

“This isn’t an SUV you buy if practicality is a priority, I’m afraid.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

As a cash purchase, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is priced similarly to the BMW X3 but you’ll find the Mercedes GLC and petrol Porsche Macan have higher starting list prices. There are generous discounts available from dealers, as well as through our hassle-free New Car Deals service. 

The Stelvio is not expected to hold on to its value as well as those rivals over three years, though, and with no hybrid or plug-in hybrid (PHEV) in the Stelvio range, it won't be particularly cost-effective to run as a company car – as we touched upon earlier.

Like its conventional petrol-powered rivals, the Stelvio will sit in the higher BIK tax brackets. Its official fuel economy is similar to that of equivalent family SUVs.

Keeping things simple, you only have three trims to choose from: Sprint, Veloce and range-topping Intensa.

Entry-level Sprint gives you plenty of standard equipment, including 19in alloy wheels, active cruise control, automatic headlights and automatic high-beam, heated washer jets, automatic windscreen wipers, a leather steering wheel, and gearstick and aluminium gearshift paddles. It’s so well specified, we reckon it’s the pick of the range.

Mid-spec Veloce also represents good value for money because you get 20in alloy wheels, electric seat adjustment for the driver and front-seat passenger, sportier exterior styling, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, sports leather seats and a limited-slip differential. 

Intensa has gold 20in wheels, adaptive suspension, a Harman Kardon sound system and a leather-wrapped dashboard. Alfa Romeo also considers it a special edition, but it hasn’t specified how many examples will be made.

The Stelvio performed poorly in the 2024 What Car? Reliability Survey – finishing in 31st place out of 33 family SUVs – and Alfa Romeo did badly as a brand too, coming 30th out of 31 makes.

You might get some peace of mind from Alfa Romeo’s three-year warranty with unlimited mileage, but that duration is nothing special for a family SUV (Toyota gives you up to 10 years).

The Stelvio scored a full five stars in Euro NCAP safety tests, but that was back in 2017 and the rating has since expired. It hasn’t been retested. 

Still, every Stelvio comes with automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, and lane-keeping assistance, but you’ll need the Driver Assist package if you want blind-spot monitoring, traffic-sign recognition and a driver attention warning system.

“I liked the sound system in our Intensa test car. And fortunately, it’s available as an optional extra on lesser trims.” – Oliver Young, Reviewer

Buy it if…

-You want a class-leading, fun handling

-You’re happy with pure petrol power 

-You appreciate simple, easy-to-use interior controls

Don’t buy it if…

-You want a diesel, hybrid or electric car (it’s petrol only)

-You want top-notch interior quality

-You need lots of interior and boot space

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