BMW’s upcoming X3 is going to have its hands full when it finally debuts. The new Audi Q5 seems to be a cracking little car and the upcoming Volvo XC60 that just debuted in Geneva looks quite promising. Now, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is starting to hit roads and it seems like it can be a genuine competitor in the segment. Carfection drives it in its home environment in this latest video.
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Most of the pictures and videos we saw of the Stelvio prior to this video were all of the Quadrifoglio variant. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (is there a company with better sounding names than Alfa, by the way? I think not) is the hot, 503 hp variant. Typically, the Quadrifoglio is the sexier variant and the one everyone wants to see, as is the case with the Giulia. But I think in the case of the Stelvio, it actually does its design a disservice.
In standard spec, the Stelvio actually has some pretty curves and nice lines, whereas the Quadrifoglio variant seems a bit too aggressive and too…nostrilly. This normal Stelvio in the video actually looks quite nice, if a bit too soft, and brings a bit of Italian charm to a segment dominated by staid and smart German crossovers. The cabin, which is a mirror image of the Giulia’s, is also quite nice, but it does lack the technology of its German rivals.
But no one buys an Alfa for its cabin quality or technology. People buy Alfas to drive and, apparently, this new Alfa Stelvio is very nice to drive. On the twisty roads of the Swiss Alps, near the road that gave the Alfa SUV its name (The Stelvio Pass), the Stelvio seems like a good bit of fun. It looks like it hangs on well in the sharp turns and lacks the body roll typically attributed to crossovers.
Its Q4 all-wheel drive system sends most of its power to the rear wheels under normal circumstances, making it seem more rear-wheel drive than anything else. It can shift up to 50 percent of its power to the front wheels if deemed necessary, but it’s mostly rear-wheel drive. This makes it a much better road car than off-road car, but that’s really where this car is going to live anyway, so it doesn’t really matter.
One curiosity is the gearbox. Alfa uses the same ZF-sourced eight-speed automatic that BMW, Audi, Porsche, Volkswagen, Jaguar, Land Rover, Lexus and basically every other carmaker in the world uses. However, in the Alfa, the shift logic is odd and it actually isn’t all that intuitive. No matter, as using the giant aluminum paddles behind the wheel (a la Ferrari) is a delight and makes driving the Stelvio that much more fun.
All in all, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio seems like it could be a very good car and one that will challenge the X3 when both finally hit the roads. While the BMW X3 will always be the safer choice, as will be the Audi Q5 and Mercedes-Benz GLC-Class, thanks to their consistency and reliability, the Stelvio will pose as the charming enthusiast option. If buyers are looking for something to just be spacious, stylish and fun, it will be hard to pass on the newest member of the Alfa Romeo family. Plus, just saying that name makes me smile.
To the author, please do your research if you claim that BMW,Benz and Audi will be safer in terms of reliability and resale. That title goes to brands like Lexus or other Japanese luxury brands as they offer more reliable products over a 10 year life span. The average cost of keeping a German car on the road after it’s warranty is quite high, as numerous reports suggest. Most European cars fall within that median in fact, some being slightly better than others. Very few premium German cars are low maintenance and problem free as you suggest after 4-5 years. Some are better than others no doubt, but overall they cost much more to maintain than some other luxury brands.
If you’re going to spread pro-German gospel, you can focus on the customer-service experience and dealership efficiency which will no doubt be better than a boutique brand like Alfa or Jaguar, but Volvo, Lexus , Acura and some other brands are definitely the “safer” choices in terms of resale and durability.
To say I didn’t do my research because Lexus is more reliable than BMW is ridiculous. Lexus, or any other Japanese brand, may or may not be more reliable than any German brand but that isn’t the point. The German brands have far better histories than Alfa Romeo, especially a first-time model, and that’s the point made in this article.
Comparing the Germans to Lexus is neither here nor there.
Lexus, Volvo and other directly compete with the Stelvio and the German 3.
Lexus ugly, Volvo 4 cyl., Stelvio & Jag new models with no reliability record & limited dealer support. If you’re shopping luxury why not lease the warrantied 3rd generation inline 6? BMW, party of one!
http://www.motortrend.com/cars/alfa-romeo/giulia/2017/alfa-romeo-giulia-bmw-330i-audi-a4-mercedes-benz-c300-cadillac-ats-jaguar-xe-lexus-is-200t-infiniti-q50-volvo-s60-comparison/
This just in, kindly post this :)