Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review

As a sports SUV, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio may be capable of out-accelerating some supercars, but practicality is also an important consideration, and here it’s a mixed bag.

Four people of average height will fit easily enough. Plus, the optional Carbon Shell sports seats are slimmer than the standard items, so free up useful extra rear leg room. However, the curved roofline eats into rear head room, so six-footers may well find they have to slouch in their seats. And even this isn’t an option for a central rear passenger, because the centre console that runs between the front seats extends back too far.

In terms of in-car storage, all four door pockets are just about wide enough for a small bottle of water, and there are plenty of cubbies in the front for keys, phones and other paraphernalia. As a bonus, one of these includes a couple of sockets (one of which is a traditional USB port and the other the smaller USB-C type).

At 525 litres, the Quadrifoglio's boot trumps the Porshce Macan's but can’t quite match the X3 Competition’s or the GLC 63's. The load area is a usefully square shape, though, with no internal load lip; it’s just a shame that there aren’t more hooks for bags or eyelets to hold down loads.