2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is an absolute hoot to drive.
Alfa’s biggest SUV is still a must-have choice for fun
If you know anything about the culture, it’s their resolute ability to create beautiful consumer objects, ones that speak to your soul with an unrelenting passion that force you to open your wallet and spend far too much money to acquire them. Then they somehow break your heart.
My first broken heart came from a Brioni dress shirt, exquisitely woven and feeling unlike any other dress shirt I had ever worn. Yet its life was short, unable to survive more than a few trips through dry cleaning. Its luster somehow washed away with the dry-cleaning chemicals. Oh Brioni, prove me wrong.
And so, it’s hardly surprising that falling head-over-heels for the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio happens within the first few hundred feet behind the wheel. Yes, this compact, two-row luxury SUV is that entrancing – and heartbreaking.
Stelvio still has Alfa personality quriks
2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is more than just a pretty face.
Being an Alfa Romeo, there’s its share of eccentricities. As on other Alfas, the Stelvio’s starter button is on the steering wheel. The front seat bolsters were clearly designed around Italian male models, not corn-fed Americans, who may find them too confining. Then there’s the infotainment system, which seems slow to react and isn’t always the most intuitive to use, although using the controller proved quicker than using the touchscreen. But a standard 12-speaker, 900-watt Harman/Kardon audio system provides beautiful sound. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, embedded navigation and a wireless phone charger are standard
Open the door and saddle up, and you’ll find the driving position is perfect, and the seats superbly supportive without being punishing after long trips in the saddle. The back seat is roomy enough for two companions, while cargo space is good, but clearly European in size.
Fun in an Italian wrapper
The Stelvio’s personality quirks do little to dilute how much fun it is to drive
Then there was the parking brake failure light, which cycled on and off erratically for no apparent reason, other than, perhaps, serendipity. It was a reminder that any thrills behind the wheel must be balanced with the added thrill that something, someday could go wrong. And yet, this is such an outrageously fun buggy, it’s worth putting up with such foibles when there’s so much exhilaration under your right foot thanks to what’s stuffed up front. In this case, it’s a twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Rated at 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, there’s always an outrageous amount of power on tap. All-wheel drive is standard.
Named for a Northern Italy Alpine Mountain pass, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is clearly tuned to tackle such twisties, and does so with an aplomb that’s remarkable. Exhilarating when other SUVs are unwieldly, the Stelvio’s steering and brakes are perfectly weighted, making corners something to look forward to, not dread. Then there’s the engine, whose sweet song makes for a sweet soundtrack, one that’s not too raucous, but loud enough to know you’re driving something special. As the V6’s power builds, the transmission willingly responds, shifting so quickly, it feels more like a dual-clutch transmission rather than a traditional one.
It’s the perfect driving device, one that feels more like an extension of yourself than almost any other SUV. It feels as if the people who designed and built it have as much passion for driving as you do and funneled it into two tons of Rosso Red personal transportation.
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Get it while you can
Alfa is ending production of the Stelvio soon so get it while you still can
Sadly, production of this vehicle is ending, so if you need to feed your hunger for a truly sporting Alfa Romeo SUV, now’s the time to do it. Will it be the most reliable SUV you’ve ever owned? I wouldn’t bet on it. Will it be the most fun SUV you’ve ever owned? Absolutely.
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