Driven: Alfa Romeo Stelvio

Alfa Romeo is firmly back in the minds of car enthusiasts, and not as a throwback to its heyday. With cars like the Quadrafolio being unashamedly Alfa and focused on performance and driving pleasure. Alfa has seemingly taken the same formula and slapped on a  very beautiful exterior onto there latest, and first SUV.

For years the “Sportscars for the family” has been missing the Italian players.   Now, Lamborghini has the Urus, and Ferrari has been hinting about joining the fray for years. The SUV market now being the biggest market in many regions, the sports SUV has become a thing.  Jaguars F-Pace won world car of the year and as a Jaguar Driving Instructor, I can confirm that after many laps in the F-Pace it is surprisingly good around a  circuit. But how sporty is the new sporty Stelvio?

My time with the Stelvio would see me doing the usual shopping run but for one day we needed a tracking vehicle to driving in front of the very fast and capable RS3 Audi around the very twisty R101. A ribbon of road now seldom used as it’s bypassed by a much more efficient tunnel. But for those seeking thrills, and if you want to save some money on the toll fees, there’s the incredibly winding  Du Toits Kloof Pass.

After the shoot, I chose the Alfa for my drive home and asked of the Stelvio what Alfa has promised in the brochure. And it delivered

I’m sure you’ve heard by now that the Alfas steering is absolutely pin sharp.  A little TOO sharp maybe, but many sportscar manufactuers can learn from this SUV. Turn in is crisp with communication through the steering not at all lacking. The chassis loads up in a predictable way and the 206kW engine makes sure your always on the boil, entry to apex.  The brakes are potent and give good feedback too. If any car lives up to the sports SUV monocar, it’s this pretty Italian thing.  And better than most.

The higher profile 18″ tyres, aren’t the best looking option, but gives much better ride comfort than some of the competitors while not sacrificing too much in the way of flex.  A compromise I’d be more than willing to make on a car that is in effect, the epitome of compromise.

Verdict

I didn’t get the Alfa at first. It seemed too sporty and too focused on performance. But after living with it for a few days I can see that if you’re a family man with JUST under 1 million Rand to spend, you loved Italian cars and youre a driving enthusiast it’s a strong contender.  Jaguars interior, which is now a tad dated still feels better and lets not even talk about the VW/Audi interiors but none of them feel as sharp on the limit as the Alfa.

I can’t believe I’m talking about this SUV as if it’s a sports car, but it is, in part.  The Sports SUV has yet another player on the field, and this one could be one of the best.