2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

The most striking element of the Stelvio’s design is the triangular grille that Alfa calls the “scudetto,” which is Italian for shield. The front end sports curved surfaces, broken up by high-set cat’s-eye headlights and low-set air intakes. The flanks feature rounded haunches over the wheels and a character line that rises front to rear to create a feel of forward motion. The rear is simple, with eye-slit taillights, a rounded built-in spoiler, and dual exhaust. 

The sporty cabin features a flat-bottom steering wheel with a Ferrari-esque red start button. The dash picks up the curved theme, punctuated by round air vents at the corners and round gauges.

The Stelvio comes standard with rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive is optional.

How fast is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

The Stelvio starts out fast and gets faster. 

Its 2.0-liter turbo-4 makes 280 hp and 306 lb-ft of torque to launch the SUV from 0-60 mph in 5.4 seconds on its way to a top speed of 144 mph. Power is strong down low and the 8-speed automatic transmission provides crisp, smooth shifts. 

Opt for the Stelvio Quadrifoglio and you get a track machine. Its twin-turbo 2.9-liter V-6 puts out 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque to cut the 0-60 mph time to a scant 3.6 seconds while sounding a visceral growl and bark.

The Stelvio reacts quickly to cornering, too. Its super-quick 12:1 steering ratio sends the front end diving into turns and the rear end follows along with vigor thanks to a strong structure, an ideal 50/50 front/rear weight balance, and a short wheelbase. It has some body lean, but it’s well controlled. An available torque-vectoring rear differential sends the power more efficiently to the pavement so the Stelvio can launch out of turns. 

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio also adds wide tires, adaptive dampers, additional cooling, and bigger brakes to give it track capability, which is further enhanced with available carbon-ceramic brakes.

The Stelvio has brake-by-wire technology and the pedal literally presses against a block to act as a stopper. It takes time to learn how to modulate the brake pedal, which always has a wooden feel.

The DNA drive-mode selector has Dynamic, Natural, All-Weather, and, in the Quadrifoglio, Race modes. Natural works for every-day driving, while Dynamic and Race quicken the reactions.

However, the rear seat has only 31.9 inches of leg room, which is about what you get in most airline coach seats. At least head room is sufficient and there’s enough hip room to fit three across in a pinch. 

The cargo hold is also on the small side at 18.5 cubic feet behind the second row, and that expands to a useful 56.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded down. 

Afla Romeo outfits the Stelvio’s cabin with materials that are appropriate for the price. Leather upholstery is standard, the Quadrifoglio gets additional leather surfaces, and the dials and switchgear feel solid.

Standard safety features consist of rear park assist and automatic emergency braking. The rest of the features are available in packages or standard on the Quadrifoglio model. They include adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitors with steering assist, active lane control, front parking sensors, and systems that operate the brake, steering, and throttle in certain highway and traffic jam situations.

Which Alfa Romeo Stelvio should I buy?

The $42,945 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Sprint is so well equipped that we think it’s the best value. It comes standard with adaptive headlights, ambient lighting, an 8.8-inch center touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, satellite radio, 10-way power-adjustable leather front sport seats with 4-way lumbar adjustments, a power liftgate, Brembo brakes, and 18-inch alloy wheels. 

How much is a fully loaded 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

The high-performance Stelvio Quadrifoglio starts at $82,345. It comes loaded with performance parts and amenities. The performance bits include a Race mode, shift paddles, adaptive dampers, 6-piston front and 4-piston rear Brembo brakes, a torque-vectoring rear differential, a two-mode exhaust system, and wider summer performance tires on 20-inch wheels. 

The niceties include navigation, a 900-watt Harmon Kardon sound system with 14 speakers, heated 14-way adjustable front seats, and a heated steering wheel. 

The Stelvio’s 8.8-inch infotainment touchscreen can also be controlled via a center rotary dial. It’s relatively easy to use compared to the bad first-generation system, but we don’t count it as a strength or a weakness. 

The Stelvio’s warranty is a good one, but there are better. It covers the whole vehicle for 4 years or 50,000 miles and the powertrain for 5 years or 100,000 miles. It also includes the first engine service.

The ratings rise to 22/29/25 mpg with rear-wheel drive. 

The high-performance Quadrifoglio model uses a twin-turbo V-6 that drinks gas to the tune of 17/23/19 mpg. 

Alfa Romeo requires premium fuel for all Stelvios, so buyers will pay more at the pump.