2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Overview

Forged from the fires of Italy and sent overseas to satiate the appetites of crossover-crazed Americans, the Stelvio manages to be both fascinating to behold and entertaining to drive. Its exotic styling and ethereal handling separate it from most competitors. While the Alfa Romeo brand seeks to erase its reputation for poor reliability, the Stelvio's unproven powertrain and questionable build quality remain red flags. Still, the Italian crossover has impressive standard features and outstanding performance that put revered rivals in its crosshairs. Svelte and swift, the Stelvio is exceptionally pleasing to look at and—more important to us—to drive.

What's New for 2019?

The Stelvio is now available with rear-wheel drive, but it's only standard on the bottom two models. Every version now can be had with heated rear seats, a premium alarm system, and Imola Titanium metallic paint. Its two new option packages are the Nero Edizione bundle, which includes numerous black exterior accents such as 20-inch wheels wrapped in all-season rubber and backed by red, black, or yellow brake calipers. The Ti Sport Carbon package also adds a set of 20-inch rims along with copious carbon-fiber and dark-colored bits inside and out.

Pricing and Which One to Buy

To unlock our favorite features we need to choose the Ti model with the Performance package. It includes steering-column-mounted paddle shifters, a limited-slip differential, and a sport-tuned adaptive suspension. These upgrades optimize the Stelvio's spirited driving experience and save us from spending more on driver-assistance technology and other superfluous items that are bundled on some rivals. We'd also add the Convenience package, with a 115-volt power outlet and an adjustable rail system in the cargo area that helps make the best of its below-average storage space.

Engine, Transmission, Performance, and Towing

Likes: Expeditious powertrain, accessible paddle shifters, balanced ride and handling.
Dislikes: Low tow rating, longest emergency-braking distance, can't quell our Quadrifoglio infatuation.

The Stelvio's turbocharged four-cylinder sends a hearty 280 horsepower through an eight-speed automatic transmission to your choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. While this powertrain was effortlessly quick in our testing and sounded great, the Stelvio's sole setup—aside from the high-performance Quadrifoglio—eliminates choices for the buyer and limits towing to a maximum of 3000 pounds. During daily driving, we were particularly fond of its responsive throttle and smooth power delivery. Its raspy exhaust note sounded enthusiastic and appropriate for this application.

In addition to its beautiful design, the Stelvio boasts athletic handling and a compliant ride. Even with its 20-inch wheels, our Ti Sport test vehicle provided sufficient isolation from all but the harshest bumps. While its maximum cornering grip was similar to rivals, the Alfa is the alpha dog when it comes to driving engagement. The chassis, which is shared with the Giulia sedan, had damping that was composed and comfortable. Although the Stelvio's steering isn't as sharp as the Giulia's, its light effort and quick reflexes were still exceptional—especially for a crossover. During normal driving, its brake pedal felt firm and had progressive responses, but needed a lengthy 176 feet to stop from 70 mph. For a stronger dose of Stelvio performance, ask your doctor about the 505-hp Quadrifoglio version.

Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG

Although the Stelvio's real-world fuel economy and highway range are unremarkable, they align with most competitors. The version we tested returned 26 mpg on our test route—2 mpg shy of its EPA highway estimate. The Alfa's unrivaled performance and unique persona make this a nonissue in our minds, but alternatives such as the Volvo XC40 are thriftier at the pump.

Interior, Infotainment, and Cargo

Likes: Satisfying driving position, muted cabin noise, intuitive rotary controller.
Dislikes: Hideous dashboard covering, no mobile hotspot, tightest cargo area.

As stunning as the Stelvio looks at the curb and in motion, its interior lacks the quality expected in this class of luxury compact crossovers. The worst bits were our test car's cheap-looking electronic shifter and unlovely upper dashpad that resembled spray-painted Styrofoam. This aesthetic clashed with the otherwise attractive leather seats and handsome aluminum accents on the dash, doors, and center console. Although its quiet cabin features comfortable leather seats and desirable options, Alfa Romeo has the small passenger-space dimensions.

It features an unconventional but cleverly incorporated infotainment display that includes a handy rotary controller. While the system we tested had mediocre responses and limited customizable settings, the Alfa does have desirable standard features such as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and affordable options.

The Stelvio has some useful storage tricks up its Italian sleeve, but with a small cargo area behind the rear seats, it's not the most capacious crossover among this set. Although the Alfa's other cubbies only held average amounts, we appreciated the useful smartphone slot between its cupholders and the tray near the driver's left knee. The center console also has a nifty removable tray at the bottom.

Safety and Driver-Assistance Features

The Stelvio has not been crash-tested by either the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). The Italian-bred crossover is available with a host of high-tech safety and driver assists. Too bad almost none of these are standard. Key safety features include:

• Available forward-collision warning with automated emergency braking
• Available blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert
• Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist

Warranty and Maintenance Coverage

Despite the company's reputation for reliability woes, Alfa Romeo endows the Stelvio with average warranty coverage.

• Limited warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles
• Powertrain warranty covers 4 years or 50,000 miles
• Complimentary maintenance is covered for 1 year or 10,000 miles