Used 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

The 2021 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a premium luxury crossover/SUV with fabulous Italian flair. Both in the way it looks and the way it drives. It’s an antidote to the ubiquity of German contenders like the Audi Q5 and the staidness of Japanese rivals like the Lexus NX.

The Stelvio launched in 2018 and was updated last year. Finding an Alfa Romeo dealer requires more effort than most of the competition, resale values are a few percentage points behind the Lexus NX and how well it holds up over time is still to be determined. But if a family of car nuts really had to buy a crossover, this would be their choice. Even the school run would feel like an event.

Or it could feel like a motorsport meet in the 505-horsepower Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio (pronunciation hint: don’t articulate the g) propelled by a Ferrari-derived V6 and held in check by Brembo high-strength brakes. It costs almost twice as much as an entry-level Stelvio in Sprint trim (a new name for this vehicle, though plucked from Alfa’s heritage), but that would still be much cheaper than a real Ferrari SUV.

European cars have a certain poise. And so do European crossovers, especially the 2021 Stelvio. There’s an immediacy to its responses that can make a driver forget how the Stelvio is also a practical family vehicle that’s civilized on the highway and around town.

In the lower versions, the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine develops 280 horsepower, which is far beyond “adequate” and more like “exhilarating.” The Stelvio — named after the Stelvio Pass, an enthusiast’s playground of thrilling corners snaking over the Italian Alps — also has a lightweight carbon fiber driveshaft. That’s less mass to get spinning. The experience is further enhanced by Dynamic, Natural, or Advanced Efficiency driving modes, known as Alfa DNA.

As well as a Ferrari-derived twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 generating an awesome 505 horsepower, the high-performance Quadrifoglio has a sport-tuned adaptive suspension and one more driving mode: Race. Only a few crossovers are any fun on a track. BMW’s M versions of its X vehicles, for example. But the Quadrifoglio is definitely another, capable of sprinting from standstill to 60 mph in just 3.6 seconds and taking corners with speed and precision.

Rivals like the Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 and Porsche Macan Turbo are also exceptional, and well-rounded packages as well as performance machines. But there’s a rawness to the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio that’s so appealing.

If only there were another engine choice somewhere in between the regular 4-cylinder unit and the all-cylinders-blazing V6. Making around 375 horsepower, perhaps. Then the Stelvio lineup would feel more complete.

There are some lower-quality plastics in a few out-of-the-way places, rear passenger space only has 31.9 inches of legroom, and the overall interior design is not as striking as the exterior. Having got those little gripes out of the way, there’s still a lot to like about the Stelvio’s cabin.

Such as the twin-cowl instrument cluster (an Alfa Romeo hallmark), the general tidiness of the dashboard, stowage areas in the center console, and the engine start button — set right in the steering wheel.

The 5-seater Stelvio comes standard with leather seating surfaces. Most rivals tend to come with some simulated equivalent. And the front seats have 10-way powered adjustment. The Quadrifoglio comes with 14-way adjustable sport front seats with leather/simulated suede (Alcantara) covering.

Cargo space behind the rear seats measures 18.5 cubic feet, expanding to 56.5 when they’re folded down. That’s nothing like as good as the BMW X3.

To younger drivers in the United States, Alfa Romeo might seem like a fairly new name, but this venerated Italian marque has been around since the early 20th century. And in all that time, there has always been something arguably beautiful about its cars. Well, almost always.

The point is that the 2021 Stelvio wears its Alfa badges with the same stylistic flair as many of the cars that have come before it. This is also Alfa Romeo’s first SUV/crossover, and the designers still managed to make it look way more athletic than the usual box on wheels, even close to one of those “4-door coupe” bodies.

Several exterior elements are on the options list, like gloss black roof rails or carbon fiber side mirror housings. Ti and Quadrifoglio trims can have black, yellow, or red brake calipers. Although the Ti Sport gains a newly standard rear diffuser, the Quadrifoglio has the most aerodynamic additions, sits lower on its suspension, and offers cool “telephone dial” wheels that evoke designs from earlier Alfa Romeos.

Four new tri-coat paint colors arrive for 2021, the most interesting of which might be Ocra GT Junior. It’s a kind of yellowy bronze that pays homage to the classic Alfa Romeo GT Junior car. The others are two red hues (always a hit with Italian cars) and a surprisingly fetching green.

STYLING
While acknowledging that looks are subjective, the Stelvio manages to blend the contemporary with the traditional in an arguably successful manner. Like the triangular grille, an Alfa Romeo hallmark known as the Scudetto (small shield), which makes a welcome change from oversized equivalents on some rivals. It draws a virtual line right back to those early Alfas created by some of the most celebrated car designers in history, like Giugiaro and Pininfarina.

ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO
This is the Stelvio’s “halo” model that casts a heavenly glow over the rest of the range. With an engine derived from Ferrari and performance that can beat a Porsche Macan, there ought to be a Quadrifoglio or three in the Vatican’s parking lot.

For 2021, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio comes in fewer trim levels than last year: Sprint, Ti, Ti Sport, and Quadrifoglio. The new Stelvio Sprint trim has rear-wheel drive (to emphasize its sportiness), along with Brembo brakes, 18-inch alloy wheels, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry/ignition, 10-way power-adjustable front seats, and a powered tailgate.

The infotainment system includes an 8.8-inch touchscreen, satellite radio, five USB ports, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration. Among the standard safety features are rear parking sensors and forward-collision warning with full-speed automatic emergency braking.

Higher trims bring more equipment and, in the case of the Quadrifoglio, more power and plenty of upgraded hardware to deal with it. Back in the sensible world, all versions are eligible for more driver assistance features (see the Safety Technology section).

Sprint trim qualifies for heated front seats/steering wheel/washer nozzles, a dual-pane sunroof, and a 10-speaker sound setup. Sprint and Ti versions can also come with a Performance package that includes paddle shifters and a mechanical limited-slip differential.

A Premium package is available with the Ti and Quadrifoglio models, adding wireless charging, heated rear seats, a 115-volt outlet, and a Harman Kardon audio system (standard in the Quadrifoglio).

Buyers may order various appearance packages, upgraded leather upholstery, hands-free tailgate operation, larger alloy wheels, and high-performance tires. The Quadrifoglio model also offers a carbon fiber steering wheel and has blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert as standard.

A turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine propels the Sprint and Ti versions of the 2021 Stelvio. Output is a gutsy 280 horsepower and 306 lb-ft of torque, much better than base versions of the X3, F-Pace, or Macan.

The transmission is an 8-speed automatic, and the Sprint model comes standard with rear-wheel drive (RWD). All-wheel drive (AWD) is optional in the Sprint, standard in all the higher trims.

A twin-turbocharged 2.9-liter V6 endows the Stelvio Quadrifoglio with 505 horsepower and 443 lb-ft of torque. This model also has an 8-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

Both engines require premium gasoline, and both have a stop/restart function to save some of that precious premium fuel while idling. It can be turned off if drivers find the restart action too abrupt. Maximum towing capacity is 3,000 pounds.

2.0-liter turbocharged inline-4 (Sprint, Ti, Ti Sport)
280 horsepower @ 5,200 rpm
306 lb-ft of torque @ 2,000-4,800 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/29 mpg (RWD), 22/28 mpg (AWD)

2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (Quadrifoglio)
505 horsepower @ 6,500 rpm
443 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500-5,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 17/23 mpg