In-depth reviews

Alfa Romeo Stelvio review

The handsome Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a sporty SUV that's good to drive, but it's expensive to buy and run compared to some rivals

Overall Auto Express Rating

4.0 out of 5

Price
£47,295 to £79,954
  • Stylish looks, enjoyable to drive, punchy and frugal diesel
  • High list price, firm ride, rival SUVs are more practical
Find your Alfa Romeo Stelvio
Offers from our trusted partners on this car and its predecessors...
From:£21,495 cash
PCP finance available
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Advertisement

The Stelvio inherits perhaps the most important quality of any Alfa Romeo: uniquely desirable styling that stands out in the SUV crowd. The interior is similarly attractive to the eye, even if the Germans still have it beaten for fit and finish and rear seat space. 

The sporty Italian SUV follows in the footsteps of the excellent Giulia saloon; great to drive, with strong engines and handling that's agile and involving, although the ride isn't as comfortable as its best rivals. Overall, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is definitely worth a look if you're bored of the German establishment - it's got style and flair in spades, but it remains expensive to buy and some rivals boast superior residual values.

About the Alfa Romeo Stelvio

These days, a car company can't just rely on its heritage and character to earn sales, the big bucks are in the business of meeting customer demand. So really it's no surprise that the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the company's first SUV, exists. Alfa clearly saw the money to be made in the mid-sized premium SUV class and decided it needed to put one on sale.

Under the skin, the Stelvio shares a platform with the Giulia saloon, and is part of the revival the brand is currently in the middle of to make it a viable alternative to the Germanic norm. As a result, the new platform is designed to deliver comfort and engaging handling, there are a range of powerful yet efficient petrol and diesel engines, while a high-performance model signals Alfa's intent on delivering cars that are fun for enthusiasts to drive.

The Stelvio is a rival to models such as the Jaguar F-Pace and Volvo XC60, along with the German trio of the Audi Q5, BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC. Other opponents include the Land Rover Discovery Sport and Lexus NX, while faster Stelvio models could be considered as an alternative to performance SUVs such as the Porsche Macan and Alpina XD3, or even a more left-field choice such as the Cupra Formentor.

The model range comprises of Sprint, Veloce and Veloce Ti trims, while at the top is the Quadrifoglio version. All cars come in a standard five-door SUV body, although it's curvy enough that the lack of coupe-SUV in the line-up isn't an issue. All-wheel drive and an eight-speed automatic gearbox are standard on all UK cars.

There's a 2.0-litre turbo petrol and a 2.2-litre diesel, each offered in a choice of two power outputs. The Sprint models come with a 197bhp petrol unit, or a 187bhp diesel engine, while the Veloce benefits from a higher-powered 207bhp diesel and 276bhp petrol. The Veloce Ti is paired solely with the 276bhp petrol engine.

At the top of the range, the 503bhp Stelvio Quadrifoglio features the same Ferrari-engineered 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 as the Giulia, but as it comes with four-wheel drive, its total traction means it's faster from 0-62mph by a tenth of a second at 3.8s.

Prices for the Stelvio range from around £45,000 to almost £75,000 for the Quadrifoglio. 

For an alternative review of the latest Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV visit our sister site carbuyer.co.uk

Which Is Best

Cheapest

  • Name
    2.2 D 180 5dr Auto RWD
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £33,134

Most Economical

  • Name
    2.2 D 180 5dr Auto RWD
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £33,134

Fastest

  • Name
    2.9 V6 BiTurbo 510 Quadrifoglio 5dr Auto
  • Gearbox type
    Semi-auto
  • Price
    £68,924

More on Stelvio

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 review
Alfa Romeo Stelvio - front
Road tests
2 May 2023

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 review

Updates keep the Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV competitive with German rivals
Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario twins debut
Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario
News
13 Apr 2023

Alfa Romeo Giulia and Stelvio Quadrifoglio 100th Anniversario twins debut

Alfa’s celebrating 100 years of its Quadrifoglio badge with an updated take on its high performance models
New Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato unveiled as 533bhp grand tourer
Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato - front
News
20 Dec 2022

New Alfa Romeo Giulia SWB Zagato unveiled as 533bhp grand tourer

Zagato’s latest project uses the powertrain from an Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm and adds a manual gearbox
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 facelift: interior, exterior and tech updates
Alfa Romeo Stelvio facelift - front
News
12 Dec 2022

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2023 facelift: interior, exterior and tech updates

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV has a fresh face and trim structure for 2023, bringing it into line with the smaller and newer Tonale
Alfa Romeo leasing deals 2022
Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce
Best cars & vans
13 Sep 2022

Alfa Romeo leasing deals 2022

The best Alfa Romeo leasing deals available right now
Used Alfa Romeo Stelvio (Mk1, 2017-date) review
Used Alfa Romeo Stelvio - front
Used car tests
29 Nov 2021

Used Alfa Romeo Stelvio (Mk1, 2017-date) review

A full used buyer’s guide on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio covering the Stelvio Mk1 (2017-date)
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2020 review
Road tests
4 Aug 2020

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2020 review

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio gets a light refresh, is it now the fast SUV to go for?
Hot Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio SUV revised for 2020
News
7 May 2020

Hot Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio SUV revised for 2020

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio performance SUV gets new infotainment and exterior colours options, but power stays at 503bhp
Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s toughest test
Features
5 May 2020

Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s toughest test

We head on an epic road trip to the north of Scotland in Alfa Romeo’s updated Stelvio SUV to find out if it’s still made of the right stuff
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2020 review
Alfa Romeo Stelvio - front tracking
Road tests
19 Nov 2019

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2020 review

There wasn't much wrong with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, but updates for 2020 have transformed its biggest weakness - the interior
BMW X3 M vs Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
BMW X3 M vs Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Car group tests
11 Nov 2019

BMW X3 M vs Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

Can the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio fend off the new BMW X3 M in this hot SUV showdown?
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio - front
In-depth reviews
28 Jun 2019

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is one of the best sporty SUVs around, with a raucous engine, sharp handling and handsome styling
Brands Hatch: breaking records in an Alfa Romeo
Features
1 Jun 2019

Brands Hatch: breaking records in an Alfa Romeo

We attempt to smash the Brands Hatch SUV lap record in an Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio Nero Edizione 2019 review
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Nero Edizione - front
Road tests
26 Apr 2019

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio Nero Edizione 2019 review

The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio Nero Edizione adds extra kit and Quadrifoglio styling to the entry-level Super model
Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Jaguar F-Pace
Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Jaguar F-Pace - header
Car group tests
4 Dec 2018

Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Jaguar F-Pace

The petrol-engined Alfa Romeo Stelvio and Jaguar F-Pace slug it out for performance SUV honours
Alfa Romeo Stelvio test-drives offered by Amazon
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Amazon
News
20 Nov 2018

Alfa Romeo Stelvio test-drives offered by Amazon

Alfa Romeo and Amazon partner-up to deliver door-to-door test-drives for the new Stelvio.
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 280 Q4 2018 review
Alfa romeo stelvio tracking front
Road tests
26 Oct 2018

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 280 Q4 2018 review

The punchy petrol engine suits the Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s sporty character, but the SUV is let down by interior quality and space
Five-year Alfa Romeo warranty introduced on selected models
Alfa Romeo Giulia long term test - first report front
News
10 Jul 2018

Five-year Alfa Romeo warranty introduced on selected models

New '5-3-5' package available on the Giulia, Giulietta and Stelvio, and includes servicing and breakdown cover too
2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: specs and pics
Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio front
News
4 Dec 2017

2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio: specs and pics

Pricing is yet to be announced for Alfa Romeo's record-breaking Stelvio Quadrifoglio SUV ahead of its summer 2018 launch
Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Volvo XC60 vs Mercedes GLC
Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Volvo XC60 vs Mercedes GLC - header
Car group tests
11 Nov 2017

Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs Volvo XC60 vs Mercedes GLC

We see if the new Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV can beat the Volvo XC60 and Mercedes GLC
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2017 review
Alfa Stelvio
Road tests
20 Sep 2017

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio 2017 review

We drive the all-new Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV in the UK for the first time to see if it's a worthy rival for the Audi Q5 and BMW X3
New Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV: UK prices and specs revealed
Alfa Romeo Stelvio - show front/side
News
20 Jul 2017

New Alfa Romeo Stelvio SUV: UK prices and specs revealed

Alfa's first SUV hits UK showrooms this autumn with a selection of four engines planned in time
Alfa Romeo Stelvio First Edition introduces new Alfa SUV
Alfa Romeo Stelvio First Edition front quarter
News
18 Jan 2017

Alfa Romeo Stelvio First Edition introduces new Alfa SUV

Limited edition version of Alfa Romeo's Stelvio SUV revealed, with 276bhp, a whole load of kit and a price tag around £52k