Launched in 1910, Alfa Romeo went on to create a name for itself in motorsport. Using their racing expertise, the brand also went on to make iconic sports cars renowned for their performance and beautiful styling. The company, however, experienced something of a lull at the turn of the 21st century before attempting to salvage the situation with the release of its first-ever SUV in 2017. The Stelvio has now been revised for 2021 and has landed on our shores once more to give Alfa Romeo another shot at proving itself in the modern world.
Any petrolhead will know that Alfa Romeo was plagued for years with a two-sided coin dilemma. On the one hand, the brand was revered for being founded on a strong racing heritage which translated to renowned sports cars with rewarding driver involvement. On the other hand, the brand was also notorious for having mechanical and electrical reliability issues. As a result, Alfa Romeo seemed doomed to have cars that everyone liked but nobody wanted. When the Stelvio launched, there were also some rumblings about electrical gremlins, but after five years of R&D, Alfa has returned the Stelvio to market with the guarantee of top-notch reliability.
Can You Spot the Difference?
The new Stelvio comes with some of the most modest changes we have seen in an update, however, this comes as no surprise given how the Stelvio was arguably one of the best looking cars in its segment when it launched, and still is. With its gorgeous Italian styling, the car looks like nothing else on the road. For 2021, it will take keen-eyed fans to notice the redesigned lights front and back, but apart from these, not much else has changed on the exterior styling front.
The car will come in two guises, namely the Super and the range-topping Quadrifoglio. While both models are beautiful to look at, the Quadrifoglio gets the more aggressive styling to match the performance.
Cabin and Tech Updates
The interior of the latest iteration gets more love, given that this is where the previous model fell short somewhat compared to the competition, and now comes fully loaded with everything Alfa can throw at it. The Stelvio now has a new 7” TFT screen nestled in the instrument cluster to offer more driver information. The dash also gets a bigger 8.8” integrated infotainment system with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay capabilities to enhance the UI experience. The cabin has also been treated to a better selection of materials that give the car a more premium feel. While the design language and the overall build quality may not be up to par with the likes of the X3 and the GLC, the Stelvio’s cabin update takes the car in the right direction.
The rest of the cabin gets comfortable leather sports seats, together with dual-zone climate control and a heated steering wheel. Other standard features – such as park distance control, a reverse-view camera, tyre-pressure sensors, USB ports for front and rear passengers, a wireless charging pad, automatic lights and rain-sensing wipers – enhance the premium feel of being in the Stelvio. Cabin practicality remains the same, which we found to be good for four adult passengers.
Alfa Romeo also stepped up their safety systems with the inclusion of Level 2 semi-autonomous safety systems. With these, you get autonomous emergency braking, active cruise control, lane-keeping assist and blind-spot monitoring.
Drivetrain Options
There are no changes to the latest generation’s engine line-up, meaning that the Stelvio Super retains its predecessor’s 2.0-litre petrol unit, which produces 206 kW and 400 Nm. Alfa claims the Super Stelvio Super has a top speed of 230 km/h and can accelerate to 100 km/h in 5.7 seconds.
The more exciting Quadrifoglio also keeps its Ferrari-derived 2.9-litre turbocharged V6 which produces 375 kW and 600 Nm, together with an aurally delicious soundtrack. Obviously, this model is faster than the Super, accelerating from standstill to 100 km/hr in only 3.8 seconds and onwards to a top speed of 283 km/hr. Both models come with an eight-speed automatic transmission which delivers power to an all-wheel-drive system.
Behind the Wheel
As I highlighted earlier, Alfa Romeo’s legacy is rooted in motorsport. Resultantly, it has become the fact that Alfas are one of the top choices of cars for driving pleasure. Due to its best in class weight, the Stelvio has sedan-like handling mannerisms which give the competition a run for their money. At 1,600 kg, the Stelvio is relatively light in the segment due to a clever choice of materials, including a carbon-fibre prop shaft. The handling dynamics are also enhanced by the fact that the Stelvio is built on the same platform as its sedan sibling, the Giulia. This means the Stelvio shares the Giulia’s double-wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear aluminium suspension.
Both models are fun to drive, with good driving dynamics from the chassis and exciting engines. The Super does eventually reach its limit when pushed hard, but not so for the performance-inspired Quadrifoglio. Both cars come with Alfa’s DNA driving modes, which are pre-set configurations that allow you to modulate from wet driving conditions to everyday driving and then lastly, more dynamic driving. Sure, you could try taking the Stelvio off-road, but then the sizeable column-mounted aluminium shifter pedals hint towards the performance-oriented driving the car was engineered to tackle.
Last Word
The Stelvio is honestly one of my favourite options in the segment, especially in QV guise. The car has raw emotion, which I find lacking in the competition. Couple that with the Stelvio’s gorgeous styling, and you have yourself one of the best compact SUVs in the world. Sure Alfa Romeo has had issues with reliability in the past, but now that the company is part of the Stellantis Group, it looks like those are a thing of the past. If you seek pure driving enjoyment from your compact SUV, this ought to be your starting point. In the words of Jeremy Clarkson: “You can’t be a proper petrolhead until you have owned an Alfa Romeo.”
Report by BRYAN KAYAVHU | Images © STELLANTIS
