Alfa Romeo Stelvio on test: competitive intelligence

In the middle range, the beautiful Stelvio faces serious competition. Are the latest revisions enough to keep the Italian in the race? As a special model currently on sale “Competizione”, the SUV is presented with a test of a bright color called Blu Misano Metallic. The front presents the changes that the facelift brought: The new LED lights with the signature three light points immediately catch the eye. This is based on the new corporate identity. The SUV now shows the brand’s new look, similar to Alfa Romeo’s new Tonale model.

There is also a new honeycomb design for the front grill. This also adorns the rear diffuser as a thin strap. The taillights are now fully equipped with LED bulbs and have a smoked glass frame.

On the inside, a fully digital cockpit with a diagonal of 12.3-inch screen gets a facelift, while the rest remained untouched. The special model also received a lot of contrasting red stitching and “Competizione” lettering on the front headliners. Thanks to the revised infotainment, the central display, which now seems too small at 8.8 inches, now offers various web services because Alfa is now completely online. This means that software updates can also be done “over the air”, which reduces visits to the service provider.

Diesel starts with 210 hp

Something has also changed with the driver. The turbodiesel now produces 210 hp – 20 hp more than before. The maximum torque also increased by 20 meters to 470 Newton, which the 2.2-liter four-cylinder produces from 1,750 rpm.

Power is channeled through a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. The Stelvio has all-wheel drive, power is distributed entirely to the rear axle or up to 50 percent to the rear axle, as needed. For this reason, there is no lack of traction in the Stelvio and thanks to the low weight of 1.8 tons, it always feels very light on its feet. Acceleration is smooth and starts in milliseconds, with the diesel unexpectedly easy to rev up throughout the speed range.

In addition, there is a perfect 50:50 weight distribution and a well-tuned chassis, which creates a lot of fun thanks to the incredibly direct steering and resulting, very willing driving behavior. In game mode, the damping characteristics are more severe. If that’s too much for you, Alfa Romeo has provided an additional button, which is placed in the middle of the driving mode dial and turns off the damping when activated in sport mode.

Accelerates in 6.6 seconds

With 6.6 seconds from zero to 100 km / h, the modified diesel engine beats its predecessor with 190 hp for a whole second, which is the world in this category. Top speed also increases slightly, from 210 to 215 km/h. The best thing about it is that despite the increased performance, the experience has not changed and even improved in some cases.

In the third combination, the mid-size SUV consumed 6.7 liters per 100 km, the same as the previous engine. What was even more surprising was that he won this value in the mandatory reserve round. Because in the newly refined Stelvio it needed 0.4 liters less: 4.3 liters were an average of 100 kilometers on the clock.

The equipment “Competizione” is between the top equipment “Tributo” and “Veloce”, ie in the golden sense. While “Sprint” represents basic equipment. As a special example, 21-inch wheels – 20-inch with winter tires on the test – and leather interior were on board as standard.

Also new LED headlights with matrix function, which in the test exceeded the previous xenon lights. The range of brighter lights and highly reliable performance to hide other road users make this upgrade one of the best facelift changes.

The advanced sound package brings the Harman/Kardon sound system on board the Italian, which has a natural and rich sound signature. The package price of 2,600 euros is seen with additional leather covers for the interior door panels and the dashboard. If you still have 1,500 euros left, you can invest it in the technology package, which includes, among other things, smooth and reliable cruise control including highway and traffic assistant as well as an electric tailgate with a foot sensor in the Stelvio.

The price of the Stelvio with this diesel starts at 59,300 euros and is well equipped even in the basic version. A digital cockpit, navigation system, more than half a dozen assistance systems as well as rain and parking sensors including a reversing camera are included – to name just a few details.

Like the more feature-rich “Veloce”, the diesel Stelvio starts at 64,800 euros and the top-equipped “Tributo” changes hands for at least 68,300 euros.

Conclusion: The timeless elegance of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio still favors it even eight years after its debut. With targeted refreshes, it remains fresh in design and, with its diesel engine, impresses as an SUV with a solid, highly efficient engine that can deliver a great driving experience and, despite the infotainment looking a little dated, has room good to be taken for granted. Italian in the middle SUV pool Treated as an individual.

Hybrid technology or other alternative drives continue to be abandoned. This could be because the Stelvio is in its last phase of life. Last, but not least, something that will please frequent drivers in particular: If you choose the Stelvio, you get a four-year warranty with no mileage limit.

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