Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2021 Review

The 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio – or Stelvio Q as Alfisti call it – sits atop the brand’s mid-size luxury SUV range, priced at $146,950 plus on-road costs.

The high-performance twin-turbo V6 Italian-made missile is priced significantly lower than its rivals, such as the BMW X3 M Competition (from $160,900) and Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S (from $185,500). But that doesn’t mean it’s necessarily better value.

On the right roads it’s molto rapido, the chassis dynamics and fierce V6 eliciting uproarious snorts of glee from the driver. But there are some areas where it lags behind its rivals.

First shown in late 2019, this updated Stelvio Q brings improved driver assistance safety technology, an updated infotainment system and upgraded interior materials to the table to try and close the gap.

Alfa’s circa-$150K price point buys classy, form-fitting heated (but not ventilated) eight-way power-adjustable leather and Alcantara sports seats with powered side bolsters, while optional Sparco race seats ($8350) deliver even more lateral support.

The SUV also comes with gorgeous aluminium gear shift paddles mounted to the steering.

There’s a heat-reflecting solar-glass windscreen, dual-zone automatic climate control, a sensibly positioned wireless phone charger, 8.8-inch central touch-screen and a 900W Harman Kardon audio system with 14 speakers – including a subwoofer, naturally.

Less exciting but oft-used features like three USB ports up front and two in the back, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, ambient interior lighting and a hands-free power-operated tailgate are nice touches.

The leather-covered dashboard with overt stitching looks and feels great, and the carbon-fibre highlights add extra flair.

The cabin is generally well-finished but there are some rough edges, such as the cheap volume dial and infotainment input wheel and other low-rent plastics, which detract from an otherwise sporty cockpit. BMW and Mercedes-Benz do it better.

Our Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q test car was furnished with a few options, including a sparkly Trofeo White triple-layer paint job ($4000), dark 21-inch forged alloy wheels ($1950), a dual-pane panoramic sunroof ($3300) and an upgraded sport steering wheel ($1000), taking the final price before on-road costs to $157,200.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio has a sub-par three-year/150,000km warranty, where Mercedes has five-year backing, for example. Capped-price servicing with annual or 15,000km service intervals costs $6644 over five years.

A number of new advanced driver assistance features have been added to keep the 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio competitive, such as traffic sign recognition that integrates nicely with the adaptive cruise control system, allowing for one-touch real-time speed-limit adjustment.

Active blind spot assist, driver attention alert and lane keep assist are added, although the latter isn’t the most effective system we’ve used, with a short duration.

Safety systems expected by customers on most new cars today, such as automatic headlights/wipers, high beam dipping and autonomous emergency braking (AEB), are fitted too. However, the six-airbag count lags behind many passenger vehicles offering seven, eight and nine airbags today.

The other tech highlight for the MY21 Stelvio is an updated operating system for the 8.8-inch central touch-screen with more features than before, including unique performance driving menus and data, such as a turbo boost pressure gauge.

Wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto also add more functionality.

Unlike its German competitors, there’s no digital instrument cluster in the Stelvio Q, which means the (admittedly stylish) analogue dials bookend a lacklustre 7.0-inch LCD colour display.

Furthermore, there’s no 360-degree parking camera system, only front and rear parking sensors and a low-quality reversing camera.

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio earned a five-star ANCAP safety rating based on testing carried out in Europe back in 2017 and applied in Australia a year later.

However, this rating only applies to 2.0-litre petrol and (now-discontinued) 2.2-litre diesel variants, not the high-performance V6-powered Q on test here.

Where the 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio starts to shine is in the powertrain and chassis departments, brandishing a 2.9-litre V6 that delivers a heavyweight performance punch.

Built with input from Ferrari engineers, the all-aluminium 90-degree 2891cc twin-turbo V6 delivers exceptional thrust and exhibits a free-revving nature that makes the SUV’s 1830kg kerb weight feel about half that.

The engine pumps out an impressive 375kW of power at 6500rpm, which is on par with AMG’s bigger 4.0-litre biturbo V8. It doesn’t have as much torque as its Stuttgart opponent, stumping up 600Nm from 2500-5000rpm, but dispatches the 0-100km/h benchmark acceleration sprint in the same 3.8-second time.

Top speed is listed at 283km/h. We didn’t have an autostrada to test this claim, but I reckon the only thing keeping it from reaching 300km/h would be wind resistance, not a lack of power.

Throttle response is sharp thanks in part to the vehicle’s lightweight carbon-fibre drive shaft, ensuring the SUV feels fast and is fast, pinning you into the supple leather and suede seats with a casual forcefulness that’s disarming at first, but soon becomes addictive…

The eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox has been expertly tuned too, ensuring ultra-rapid shifts when the drive mode is set to Dynamic or Race. It channels 100 per cent engine torque to the rear wheels via Alfa Romeo’s Q4 system, which can send up to 50 per cent to the front axle when required, such as a lack of rear-wheel traction.

Throw in a torque-vectoring rear differential and a dual-mode (loud/quiet) Monza quad exhaust system that grunts and snarls loudly during gearshifts – with the odd rifle crack for good measure – and the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q offers up a gloriously engaging powertrain, one of the best in its class.

Fuel consumption isn’t great, our test indicating 17.1L/100km. That it’s a challenge to pootle around at low revs without initiating the V6 symphony says a lot about the powertrain’s charm. Or the driver’s lack of self-control. Perhaps both.

Modern-day high-performance SUVs are physics-defying lumps of glass, plastic and metal, with many offering the sort of pace, road-holding and handling dynamics that beggar belief.

But I’m yet to drive another SUV that offers the level of involvement as this unique Italian high-riding wagon.

The double-wishbone front suspension of the 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio has been tuned at the brand’s Italian proving ground in Balocco, Italy, and combined with a nicely weighted electronic power steering system that telegraphs very clearly what’s happening with the front-end, the Q is exceptionally quick point-to-point.

More than that, it’s rewarding to drive hard and fast, the all-wheel drive system furnishing the brawny SUV with decisive power delivery and excellent grip levels in most conditions. The more you push it, the more satisfying the experience.

Alfa Romeo’s Q4 all-wheel drive system favours the rear-end (heavily) which keeps understeer to a minimum, eliciting a playful character that is rather different to the way its German rivals track through corners.

There’s a beautiful connection between car and driver that allows you to really eke out every last skerrick of grip.

It can be driven more like a hot hatch (read: with wild abandon) than a big, heavy SUV. It feels very dextrous and combined with an ability to blast out of corners with a 600Nm king hit of torque, it’s just epic.

There’s a huge amount of grip from the 21-inch Pirelli P Zero tyres (255/40 front, 285/35 rear) and together with six-piston Brembo callipers gnawing 360mm front brake discs there’s plenty of stopping power too.

The rear brakes comprise four-piston Brembo callipers and 350mm discs, and if you want track-ready hardware you can add carbon-ceramic brake rotors for a mere $15,950.

In general use, the Stelvio Q can be kept tame, the eight speed auto offering smooth shifts although the ultra-curvy design does reduce visibility towards the rear. The three-mode adaptive dampers (soft, medium, hard) deliver impressive comfort around town, making this more than a one-trick pony.

There’s good cabin space for front occupants and decent rear seat room too, while the 525-litre boot is deep if a little narrow.

The latter does have excellent functionality with plenty of bag hooks, a 12V socket, adjustable tie-down hooks and levers for the quick release of the folding rear seats.

Subtle updates to the 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio improve the overall package, yet it still doesn’t have the badge value, tech levels or classy interior fit-out of BMW M and Mercedes-AMG SUVs.

That said, the storming V6 engine and lithe chassis conspire to deliver one of the best high-performance SUV driving experiences money can buy, along with a design that stands out from the crowd.

It won’t disappoint buyers who take a chance with this distinctive and alluring Italian scorcher.

How much does the 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio cost?
Price: $146,950 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Now
Engine: 2.9-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
Output: 375kW/600Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 233g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested