Alfa Romeo Stelvio road test by Steve Rogers
For a youngster
whose wheels were a beat up Renault 8, the Alfasud was motoring heaven . The
way it danced through bends left me gobsmacked and I wanted one.
It never happened
but at least this job has given me nearly 40 years of sampling these Italian
beauties. The designers at Alfa have created gorgeous saloons and hatchbacks
but penning an SUV is a challenge and a half so can the new Stelvio set hearts
racing.
Alfa is virtually
last to the SUV ball but clearly wanted to get it just right. It is built on
the same platform as the glorious Giulia, the most exciting car I drove last
year, and Alfa's engineering supremo Robert Fedeli wanted that saloon's brilliant
dynamics mirrored in Stelvio.
That's a big ask,
almost an impossible one given the high sided body of an SUV, yet the engineers
have made a pretty good fist of it and the designers haven't done a bad job
either.
Well, the front
definitely looks the business but with the famous shield grille and badge how
could they fail to build something stylish around it. The profile is everyday
SUV fair but I like the rounded proportions which flow neatly to the tailgate.
So having succeeded
on design front does Stelvio come up to scratch on driving dynamics?
It ain't no Giulia
that's for sure, but then a BMW X3 is no 3 Series so let's not kid ourselves.
Yet this SUV, which is lighter than some key competitors, will hold its own if
put to the test on a race track (not that I got the chance but I know it would)
thanks to some clever work by Mr Fedeli's team.
The suspension is
stiffer than the Giulia because it has to control the inevitable body roll of a
car that stands tall, so in the main they have risen to the task.
The downside is you
feel every bump and at times the ride can be annoyingly unruly.
There can be no
complaints on performance and in this case it comes from the dreaded diesel. I
don't get the anti diesel hysteria because the engines are cleaner than ever
with lower emissions than petrol engines.
The Stelvio's turbo
charged 4-cylinder 2.2 litre is a beast, flying off the start line, and with so
much mid range torque it is hard not to keep flooring the fast pedal just to
get the thrill, and that's before switching from normal to dynamic setting
which heightens the throttle response and weights up the steering.
Stelvio delivers an
exciting drive mainly because it is rear wheel drive with all the poise and
balance that brings. Four wheel drive only kicks in when the sensors detect
slippery conditions.
It all happens
through an eight speed automatic but it is tempting to go manual using the
oversized steering wheel paddle changes for the hell of it. Great fun.
Some will complain
the paddles are so big they cover the stalks, but they are so nice to touch and
I only changed gear by mistake once when reaching for the stalk to wash the screen!
It has taken Alfa
too long to bring its SUV to the table but the end justifies the means and
Stelvio is a match for similar premium offerings from Jaguar, BMW, Audi and such
like.
Style, performance,
handling, build quality, equipment, safety, they are all there. Alfa has been
on a roll for a while with some great cars so Stelvio ought to rack up some
decent numbers.
PS: This car is too
good to turn your back on so if a diesel Stelvio is a no-no then look out the turbo
charged 2-litre petrol. It will prove a very spicey alternative.
Stelvio Q4 AWD
Super
£38,490
2.2 turbo diesel;
210bhp
0-62mpg 6.6secs;
134mph
58.9mpg combined
127g/km. 1st year
tax £205
Insurance group 31
No comments:
Post a Comment