Forza Alfa Romeo: Stelvio adventure drive

Do you own an SUV? If so, when was the last time you tackled a proper adventure? No, a 90 minute crusade through the Bunnings lumber yard doesn't make the cut.

Imagine watching the sun set high atop a mountain range, the breathtaking view your just reward after a challenging drive. Imagine embarking on a journey tossing-up surface and weather changes, difficult, tight roads with perilous drops, then dirt and gravel… lots and lots of gravel.

In a left-hand-drive vehicle.

In a foreign country where English isn't the native language.

It's the kind of adventure advertising agencies conjure up every day, smug in the knowledge most SUVs will be stuck in eternal gridlock, their higher ride height employed only for seeing over other vehicles, mounting kerbs during the school drop off and dominating the shopping centre carpark faceoff.

But what if we told you a proper adventure was possible?

At first we didn't believe it ourselves… because the traffic around Turin in Italy is merciless. We should have known better, taking learnings from The Italian Job (the original, starring Sir Michael Caine). Indeed, the vehicular congestion makes Sydney Harbour tunnel traffic jams feel like a cake walk.

But by the time we wrapped our own Italian adventure on an autumnal weekend, we'd discovered something remarkable: The truth about SUVs.

Instead of the thirsty, cumbersome, aesthetically challenged lane hogs we've come to know and hate, the modern SUV has turned a corner.

The new breed mounts a compelling case for being the most capable all-round personal transport money can buy. So, while you might purchase a new SUV just to match your neighbours and school friends, get set to be astonished by its breadth of capability.

Alfa Romeo's next big thing, the Stelvio, is one of those SUVs.

The Italian brand says all its vehicles have the soul of a sports car… but in the case of the Stelvio, how about a rally car?

Check out the video above to see what went down when we eventually got to the Strada dell'Assietta, one of Italy's most dangerous roads.

Fast facts
>> Some interesting things you might not know about the Assietta Road include its altitude, which never drops below 2000 metres (6560 ft) above sea-level for the entirety of the 34km dirt section.

>> It's closed between October and June due to hazardous weather and snow, which make the going too tough even for the most adventurous.

>> In most areas it's only wide enough for one vehicle to pass at a time.

>> The road was originally a military route carved into the mountains in the late 1800s and created to provide the army with access to the various forts in the area. These were erected to defend the borders against invaders, presumably the French and Germans.

>> Vehicles which weigh over 3.5 tonnes and/or measure more than two metres wide are prohibited from traversing the Strada dell'Assietta.

>> Today the road sees very little traffic and is used mainly by locals. Sightseers and cyclists love the area too and we even saw some downhill roller skiing on nearby sealed roads.

>> Areas close to the Assietta Road, near the Colle delle Finestre, featured in the 2015 Giro d'Italia, the Italian version of the Tour de France cycle race. It's also widely used for competitive mountain bike races.

>> The views are breathtaking, as is the natural splendour.

Related Forza Alfa Romeo reading:
Forza Alfa Romeo: Design leads the charge
Forza Alfa Romeo: Spotlight on Museo Storico
Forza Alfa Romeo: Alfa Romeo’s factory of the future
Forza Alfa Romeo: Tour of top-secret Skunkworks
Forza Alfa Romeo: Top seven cars at the Arese museum
Alfa Romeo Giulia 1963 Retro Review
<a href="/forza-alfa-romeo-nine-cool-things-about-the-stelvio-111195/">Forza Alfa Romeo: Nine cool things about the Stelvio<br> </a>Forza Alfa Romeo: Stelvio Adventure Drive
Forza Alfa Romeo: Guilia QV and 4C Review
Forza Alfa Romeo: Italian car school