I ignored the flashing yellow warning light on the gauge cluster and ignored the safety warnings on the stereo. I would rather risk turning this Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (and possibly myself) into charcoal than be forced to halt my assault on this winding two-lane back road.
Eventually I pulled over, restarted the car, and the warning magically disappeared. All was well. But being so engrossed in a vehicle that you’d rather risk life or limb for one more stretch of good paved road—that’s the essence of the Alfa Romeo experience.
| Brief Specifications | 2024 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio |
| Machine | 2.9-liter V-6 engine with turbocharger |
| Output | 505 Horsepower / 443 Pound-Feet |
| Speed 0-60 mph | 3.6 Seconds |
| Heavy | 4,313 pounds |
| Price / As Tested | Rp. 88,965/Rp. 94,910 |
Alfa’s Quadrifoglio line is destined for destruction (or at least, electrification). It’s a sad fate for one of the best performance names out there. So I wanted to take another look at what—in my opinion—is the best performance SUV under six figures. The 2024 Stelvio Quadrifoglio starts at $88,965, and costs $94,910 as tested with options.
The brainchild of Sergio Marchionne—the mad scientist and CEO behind some of Fiat-Chrysler’s most iconic cars—he asked engineers from Maranello to build a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6 engine over espresso. And they did.
With 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, the Stelvio Quad rockets to 60 mph in 3.6 seconds. It’s quick—but so are many of the more sophisticated SUVs in this segment. The Mercedes-AMG GLC63 will get you to 60 mph in 3.4 seconds. The Jaguar F-Pace SVR will do it in 3.8 seconds. The difference lies in the application of power.
Pros: Excellent Performance, Powerful & Characterful Engine, Great Looks
The Stelvio delivers its power brutally, emotionally and effortlessly. It blasts off the line at a blistering pace while Ferrari-like music blares from the tips of its quad exhausts. Pull the column-mounted aluminum shifter and the eight-speed automatic shifts purposefully into gear. Find a long enough stretch of road, and the Stelvio Quad will cruise to a top speed of 177 mph.
For its latest tune, Alfa ditched the electric torque vectoring for a true mechanical limited-slip differential. It probably makes more of a difference in the rear-wheel-drive Giulia than in the all-wheel-drive Stelvio, but it’s still a nice thing to have when you’re pushing hard on twisty roads. They also sharpened up the performance driving mode and tweaked the ride—but the changes are barely noticeable. The Stelvio still rips through corners like a hot, tall hatchback.
Steering feel is *chef's kiss;* Fast, precise, and communicative on an atomic level. Some might say it’s so fast it’s almost unstable. Cowardly. The steering wheel itself feels great in your hands—not too thin and not too thick, with a luxurious combination of stitched leather and Alcantara.
When hit in corners, the Stelvio experiences virtually no body roll, its steering is fluid, and its suspension is predictable. “Uncertainty” is not a word in the Quadrofolio's vocabulary; everything about this vehicle is built for maximum assault.
Living with the Stelvio Quad is less than pleasant. Even with the supposedly softer suspension and adaptive dampers in their softest setting, the ride is uncomfortably stiff. The optional 21-inch wheels and low-profile tires, while nice to have on, don’t provide much in the way of relief. The standard 20-inch rims could be a little softer. The Stelvio is also noisy at highway speeds; harsh wind and tire noise seeps into the cabin, and you can hear every kicked-up pebble bouncing around under the chassis.
The transmission is also clunky at low speeds and the high-performance brakes are impossible to modulate. The big Brembos are great for spirited driving but will leave you shaking in the grocery store parking lot.
Cons: Rough ride, noisy, brakes too hard, limited cargo space
But it’s not all bad. This is still a luxury SUV, which means the interior is filled with nice materials like stitched leather and Alcantara. The 8.8-inch touchscreen is bigger and better than before, and the bucket seats are gorgeous. The leather thrones up front are eight-way adjustable and have more than enough bolstering and lumbar support to hold you in the corners.
Even with the improvements, the tech inside the cabin is still not impressive. The infotainment screen layout is cluttered with options and the touchscreen interface is less responsive than the iPhone 4. Several times I accidentally clicked too many options because I was frustrated with the slow response time.
And as far as SUV stuff goes—carrying a family and luggage, for example—there are better choices. The Stelvio’s front compartment is roomy, but the back seat is cramped and cargo space is minimal. You get just 18.5 cubic feet behind the second row and 56.5 cubic feet with the rear seats folded flat. That’s on par with the Macan but well below the BMW X3 and Mercedes-Benz GLC. The same goes for fuel economy; the Stelvio Quad gets just 17 miles per gallon in the city, 23 on the highway, and 19 combined.
But for hauling stuff quickly, you won’t find a better SUV in this segment. The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrofiglio is all about performance with a Ferrari-sourced V-6 and a suspension designed for sports cars. Sure, you’ll have to deal with limited cargo space and less-than-stellar fuel economy—but it’s worth it, trust us.
