2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review

2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio

It seems like a relatively new category, but one that’s growing fast. Sports SUVs satiate the nation’s desire to have practicality alongside performance, and they’re increasingly taking the place of traditional two-door sports cars and performance sedans.

There are plenty of go-fast options in the sports SUV segment, particularly from European manufacturers, but the 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio happens to be my favourite.

Sure, there are others out there with more power, and there are some with smarter technology under the skin, but none come close to the all-round likeability you get with the Stelvio, which has just undergone a facelift for the 2024 model year.

There’s updated styling inside and out, new LED lights with a unique 3+3 lighting signature and scrolling indicators, plus a new rear mechanical self-locking differential.

It remains with the same powertrain – a 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine – and while that engine was made more powerful in overseas markets, the Australian version retains the same outputs.

It’s a formula I’ve appreciated in the past, so I spent a week with a striking Verde Montreal example to discover how much better the updated version is.

How much is an Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

The Quadrifoglio sits at the top of the five-seat Stelvio line-up as the performance-focused variant. Arguably, it’s the most expensive series-production Alfa Romeo at the moment priced at $162,700 before on-road costs (ORCs), though the ultra-limited-edition Alfa Romeo Giulia GTAm briefly held that title at $288,000 plus ORCs.

It undercuts the BMW X3 M Competition ($178,000 plus ORCs) on price, but sits roughly the same as the Audi SQ7 ($164,100 plus ORCs) even though the Audi is a bigger car.

As before, power is drawn from a Ferrari-fettled 2.9-litre twin-turbo six-cylinder engine that sends 375kW and 600Nm to an all-wheel-drive system.

Regarding how much kit your $162,700 gets you, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio comes with 20-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, heated sports seats with electric adjustment, a 14-speaker Karman Kardon sound system, adaptive sports suspension, and a hands-free powered boot.

In terms of its presentation, I’m not meant to tell you what good-looking is, beauty is in the eye of the beholder, right?

But, to my eye, I think the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is one of the most stunning SUVs on the road – particularly in the flagship Quadrifoglio specification. Our tester selected the $4000 Verde Montreal green colour and $1950 21-inch alloy wheels, which made its looks stand out even further.

One option I wish this car had was the $8350 Sparco carbon-fibre-backed bucket seats which, though they’re expensive, are seriously impressive and have looks to match.

How big is an Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

Unlike some other luxurious SUVs, the Alfa Romeo isn’t obviously high-end when you look at its interior. There are no outlandish LED ambient lights, minimal fancy trim inlays, and no contrast stitching for its leather upholstery.

However, once you start to touch and interact with the surfaces around the front row, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio feels suitably premium. The Alcantara covering the steering wheel, the carbon-fibre elements on the dash and centre console, or the lovely metal door handles – these aspects make the Stelvio experience special.

I only wish there weren’t so many dark materials, and more pops of colour.

There were a few specification omissions that I was annoyed by, especially for a pricey luxury SUV. No surround-view camera was a big surprise, and a lack of tilt-down mirrors made the car a bit difficult to park in the dark. It doesn’t get a head-up display for easy at-a-glance viewing, and no wireless smartphone mirroring.

It’s disappointing these items don’t make the spec list, especially when they’re available as standard on cars half the price.

The seats have thick bolstering to ensure the driver stays put through swift cornering, plus heating and electric memory adjustment. I was plenty comfortable seated in the front row whether I was commuting to work or wrangling the car through twisties.

I also love the thin-rim steering wheel with the theatrical red starter button, heating element, and comically oversized metallic shift paddles. The paddles have the most satisfying click when you bang up and down gears and it’s a tactical delight.

The front row has twin cupholders within the centre console, a small-ish lidded centre console bin, three USB ports, a wireless phone charger, door bins to house small bottles, and a glovebox.

In my time commuting with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, I encountered a few creaks and rattles while driving, but nothing that overly upset the cabin ambience. While it didn’t really annoy me, I wonder whether noises could develop as the car racks up more kilometres on the odometer.

Second-row space and comfort were enough for my 194cm-tall frame to climb into the back seat with enough foot room, fair knee room, and enough space for my head under the dark headlining. It was great to see the materials’ quality didn’t diminish as soon as you slipped into the second row.

There are USB ports, air vents, map pockets, and a fold-down centre armrest that houses a pair of cupholders. At the rearmost, the electric boot pops open to reveal a 525-litre space that is lit by LED lights and has latches to fold down the second row in a 60/40 format should you need more space.

Does the Alfa Romeo Stelvio have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?

The Alfa Romeo’s infotainment display is nestled within the dash and measures 8.8 inches. This is comparatively small for a car these days, especially a luxury car, but in practice the display has all the screen real estate you really need.

There are no obvious shortcut buttons to sift between things like satellite navigation, digital radio, or even to skip to Apple CarPlay/Android Auto mode, but the home screen is configurable to individual preferences.

I’m a big fan of the screen’s graphics and typefaces – they look suitably Italian.

The screen is quick and snappy to touch inputs, and I like that there are song skip and volume controls down on the centre console. I especially like that Alfa Romeo persists with physical controls for the climate control system, which makes it a breeze to tweak on the go.

Physical touch is the easiest way to control the Alfa Romeo’s infotainment, but a rotary controller remains down on the centre console if so desired.

New for this facelifted Stelvio is a fully-digital 12.3-inch digital driver’s cluster that can show various gauge displays and lots more information than the old 7.0-inch TFT unit. Unfortunately, there is no head-up display – your eyes must track downwards to monitor speed and revs, etc.

There is no way for owners to track or control their car using a smartphone app at present, like you can in something like a BMW X3 or Mercedes-Benz GLC.

Is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio a safe car?

As of January 2024, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is unrated by ANCAP for its safety credentials. The Stelvio last achieved a five-star rating for 2.0-litre and 2.2-litre variants (not the Quadrifoglio) in 2018 but this rating has since expired.

What safety technology does the Alfa Romeo Stelvio have?

Alfa Romeo has fitted a substantial amount of safety equipment, both passive and active.

In my time with the Stelvio, I was impressed with the way the adaptive cruise control worked – it kept an appropriate distance behind the car ahead and accelerated quickly when needed. However, it didn’t cope well with direct sunlight and stopped working when I was headed in the sun’s direction.

In terms of driver-focused technology, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio comes with a simplistic DNA mode switch that changes the car’s damping, steering, throttle, and gearbox calibration.

I do like the simplicity of just four driving modes: D, N, A + Race. But it would have been nice to configure things individually, such as the exhaust or the damping modes. Sadly, the raspy exhaust note is only available when the car’s in full-tilt Race mode.

How much does the Alfa Romeo Stelvio cost to run?

As of April 2022, Alfa Romeo has updated its warranty to the common five-year/unlimited-kilometre deal that many other prestige car makers offer, such as BMW, Audi, Mercedes-Benz and Lexus.

As well, the manufacturer’s roadside assistance program mirrors the warranty period – that means five years.

Services are recommended to take place every 12 months or 15,000km (whichever is first), but they’re eye-wateringly expensive in true Alfa Romeo style.

Up to five years of capped-price servicing is available through the brand, with the first three totalling $3210. That quickly balloons out to $6770 after five, though.

As for insurance, you’re looking at $3197 per year. This is a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio fuel-efficient?

Let’s be honest, no Stelvio Quadrifoglio intender is likely to let fuel economy sway their intentions, but fuel use is not as high as you’d expect from a super sports SUV.  

Compared to Alfa Romeo’s claim of 10.2 litres per 100 kilometres on a mixed driving cycle, I managed 11.2L/100km after a week spent on freeways, city commuting, and a country drive down to Lorne in Victoria.

That fuel economy is no doubt helped by cylinder deactivation, which can shut off power to certain cylinders at times of low demand.

Due to the high-performance nature of the engine, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio requires premium unleaded petrol in its 64-litre fuel tank.

What is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio like to drive?

While the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is nice enough to sit inside and keeps drivers (and passengers) entertained with features and technology, it’s the dynamic ability that remains the real drawcard for this super-sized Italian sports car.

The front half of my week was spent doing the boring daily commute on the freeway and trips to the supermarket – the kind of jaunt the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will be doing most often (for better or worse).

In this lens, the Stelvio fares well but is no standout. Even with dampers in their softest setting, the ride is awkwardly firm. It doesn’t ruin the car for the daily commute, but it’s something to get used to.

The eight-speed transmission is nice and slick in how it’s able to pick the right gear at the right time. Steering the car is easy thanks to the light steering feel, but it’s annoying trying to park the car without the aid of auto-tilt side mirrors.

Naturally, there’s ample punch for performing mundane overtakes and rocketing up to freeway speed limits – but the exhaust is very mundane when it’s not in all-out Race mode.

It’s far more shouty and engaging when it finally comes time to switch up to dynamic driving, as I found out taking the inland route down to Lorne.

That said, it is a shame Race mode turns off safety systems including the autonomous emergency braking and traction-control system. This is the only way you’re able to hear the incredibly sonorous and raspy V6 exhaust note, sadly.

Unlike its smaller Giulia Quadrifoglio sibling, the bigger Stelvio has all-wheel traction, which is less concerning in the case where the car loses purchase on the bitumen, but it’s nice to be able to rely on safety systems as a backup.

But Race mode really is worth it – for the ability to hear that snarly exhaust alone. In its most hardcore setting, the Stelvio executes whip-crack upshifts with a satisfying pop and the surge of power doesn’t relent right up until redline.

Outputting 375kW/600Nm through the four wheels, Alfa Romeo claims the Stelvio can run from zero to 100km/h in a scant 3.8 seconds. While I didn’t test this on the roads I drove, the claim is every bit believable – this SUV is rudely fast.

It’s also rudely firm in its most serious adaptive suspension setting. Cabin occupants are bullied around by road cracks, potholes, and lumps in the road, but the performance trade-off is incredibly useful. There is no hint of body lean as this big SUV rounds corners, and it’s unperturbed by mid-corner bumps.

The steering is quick and accurate, and the car tracks exactly where you point the wheels. There’s also a welcome amount of feel provided by the system whereby the driver can gauge traction levels.

Despite modestly damp roads running through Deans Marsh and down through the rainforest into Lorne, there were no instances of the all-wheel-drive system losing traction. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is such a willing partner to going fast and is easily able to put a grin on your face. It might not be the most comfortable car for running around daily, but the dynamic trade-off is wild as soon as you get to the right setting.

Can an Alfa Romeo Stelvio tow?

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s intentions don’t lie in the towing game and it’s not rated to tow.

Should I buy an Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

I would recommend the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio in a heartbeat. It has so much going for it. The gorgeous looks, the special interior, the amazing exhaust character, and the raucously entertaining drive experience – it all adds up to an incredibly impressive car.

There are some glaringly obvious omissions you’d have to stomach – there are some annoying things the Stelvio goes without – but it didn’t ruin my experience with the car.

But when you’re spending near $200,000 on a car, there is little room for mistakes.

As long as you can go try out a rival such as the BMW X3 M Competition and still come away lusting after the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, I’d wager this is an ownership experience that’ll last the distance.

How do I buy an Alfa Romeo Stelvio? The next steps.

In terms of how to buy one, Stelvio Quadrifoglio customers should first start by test-driving a demonstrator at an Alfa Romeo dealership. Locations can be found via this link.

Though there’s only a single Stelvio Quadrifoglio variant, the experience could be improved with the Sparco performance seats – even though it’s a pricey option. They hold the driver in better and look incredible.

You can also find Alfa Romeos for sale here.

If you want to stay updated with everything Alfa Romeo, check out all the latest news here.

The post 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review appeared first on Drive.

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