Alfa Romeo Stelvio review

If you’re looking at the Alfa Romeo Stelvio as your next company car but you’re also considering an Audi Q5, it’s worth noting that, if you get the Stelvio with rear-wheel drive (only available with the 187bhp diesel engine and most-affordable trim level), it dips one benefit-in-kind tax bracket below an equivalent Q5 with the same amount of power. As a private buyer, more concerning will be that the Q5 will retain a larger proportion of its value a few years down the line.

The Stelvio’s official MPG figures are less competitive than its CO2 emissions – the most fuel-efficient Stelvio has an official combined figure of 46.3mpg, which can’t match the equivalent Audi Q5’s 51mpg. This trend continues throughout the range where the Stelvio is about 5mpg worse than equivalent alternatives.

Entry-level Stelvio models have 17in alloy wheels, leather steering wheel, the aforementioned 8.8in infotainment system, cruise control and automatic lights and wipers. Our recommendation is to go for the Edizione Nero trim, which sits in the middle of the range and adds adaptive cruise control, 20-inch wheels that are unique to this model, and black exterior details for an appealingly sinister look. It’s a shame, though, that you have to move up to one of the two highest trim levels – Speciale or Milano Edizione – for the higher-powered engines. 

If you want your Stelvio to be as sporty as it can, and – let’s face it – you do, it’s worth going for the Performance Pack. This gets you beautifully-sculptured metal shift paddles behind the steering wheel, a limited-slip differential for extra grip on corner exit and the aforementioned adaptive suspension system.

We don’t yet know how reliable the Stelvio is as it’s so new, but Alfa Romeo as a brand finished in 25th place out of the 31 brands covered in the latest What Car? Reliability Survey. While the duration of the brand’s warranty is a fairly standard three years, it’s worth noting that there are no mileage restrictions.

The Stelvio scored a full five stars in Euro NCAP safety tests, beating the likes of the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC for adult protection. It’s behind those two rivals for child and pedestrian protection, though.

Not only is it good in a crash, there’s also standard automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, as well as lane departure warning.

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