520 HP Stelvio Quadrifoglio in Blick test: Alfa, we have a drinking problem

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As a car tester, you should always evaluate vehicles as objectively and impartially as possible. But as an Italian whose father owned several Alfas, this isn’t always easy. Of course, I’ll still try the refreshed Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the top-of-the-line version of the mid-size SUV. For testing, we went on a ski holiday in South Tyrol. The Stelvio seems ideal for this: all-wheel drive, plenty of space for skis and luggage, and plenty of power.

Since its launch in 2017, Alfa has managed to sell approximately 7,200 Stelvios in Switzerland by the end of 2023. However, recently sales figures have dropped again and this was reason enough for the Italians to remove the Stelvio again. Besides the Stelvio, Alfa also offers the compact SUV Tonale; The all-electric Milan will follow this year.

before trip

A look at the Stelvio innovations: With the facelift, the SUV gets new headlights, a digital instrument panel and a slightly revised chassis; this is everything. You can easily push your skis through the middle hatch, and there is also enough space for ski boots and a few pieces of luggage. But there are only two of us in the car; with friends or children, a roof box for ski equipment would make sense. Luggage volume is 525 liters and increases to 1600 liters when the rear seats are folded. Four riding modes are available to the driver: Allweather, Neutral, Dynamic and Race.

on the street

Driving on the highway is comfortable thanks to adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist. The chassis is on the stiffer side, even in normal mode, but not too stiff. But as off-highway roads get steeper and the bends narrower, it’s time for the top-of-the-line Stelvio, weighing 1.9 tonnes. Using the rotary knob on the center console, we switch to dynamic mode: the sound changes instantly and the V6 engine comes out of hibernation. The shock absorbers also stretch the muscles and they become even stiffer than before. The eight-speed automatic shifts even quicker, and the steering is precise and provides good feedback. Loss of traction? Stelvio also doesn’t know what to do when exiting sharp bends. To do this we will need to switch to race mode, where all electronic aids are disabled. But it’s not a good idea on public roads.

that was good

Need sports seats in an SUV? No, but we still like a good grip. Even on long trips our back does not report any problems. Inside, there’s beautiful leather and carbon with a three-dimensional visual appearance that Alfa Romeo has cleverly processed. The V6 engine delivers 520 hp (10 hp more than the previous model) and 600 Nm of torque to the rear-biased all-wheel drive system. This enables acceleration from standstill to 100 km/h in 3.8 seconds, with electric locking at 283 km/h. Theoretically, we implemented the idea of ​​turning on the race mode on a special snowy road. The rear moves nicely but is always easy to control using the accelerator pedal and steering wheel. This is fun!

he was bad

What was annoying about the first Stelvio was the loud wind noise, especially on the highway. Unfortunately, this situation could not be improved during the model update. The new 12.3-inch digital display behind the handlebar looks stylish but lacks configuration options. You have many more options than the premium competition. As known from BMW, the multimedia system can be controlled via the touch screen or using the rotary switch button. But we think this is too complicated. The Italian driver’s age is noticeable in the relatively small infotainment screen and the lack of a head-up display. We did a lot of driving on the motorway, but we also took the Italian driver through a few passes. When the test car was returned, the on-board computer showed consumption of 14.9 l/100 km. Alfa Romeo states 11.8 liters, but we couldn’t go below 12.5 liters on the Swiss highway, even with a light accelerator. Although cloverleaf is green, it has no ecological footprint.

what remains

The Stelvio is surprisingly light for its size, but at the same time it’s not too harshly sprung and the V6 is also convincing, apart from unacceptable fuel consumption. But new customers won’t knock Alfa’s doors down just because of new headlights and a slightly more digital cockpit; If you like technical specifications, you are definitely in the wrong place with the Italians. But if you’re looking for a high-performance SUV that’s uncomplicated, dynamic and extremely fun, the cloverleaf Stelvio is the way to go. A potential buyer also needs to have a full wallet because we often had to stop for gas. The price of the Stelvio Quadrifoglio starts at 111,900 francs, the basic version with a 2-liter gasoline engine starts at 72,400 francs, and the 2.2-liter diesel starts at around 69,400 francs.

Source: Blick