Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio - A Name That Gets Everyone Interested

Lucky to be driving an Alfa Romeo

I’m sure you know the Italian word ‘quadrifoglio’ stands for four-leafed clover. Well, I should inform you that my front lawn is covered in a few quadrifoglio and a load of trifoglio. It spreads at an incredible rate. I’ve resisted the temptation to drench it in weed killer because bees seem to love it and, let’s face it, it’s green, which after all, is the purpose of a lawn, even though mine is just about devoid of proper grass.

I’ve currently got another type of quadrifoglio sitting at the front of my house. This variety is also green (I’ve got pictures to prove it) but comes with four wheels. It hasn’t attracted any bees, but plenty of people have certainly been drawn to it. 

“This is a rather special Alfa”

There’s just something about an Alfa Romeo. They’re stylish and have a sporting pedigree. And, as I mentioned in the headline, as soon as you attach the iconic cloverleaf badge onto the front wing, you know this is a rather special Alfa. 

You soon get that confirmed when prodding the start button on the steering wheel. The 512bhp twin-turbo V6 2.9 litre petrol engine bursts into life, and you hear a lovely rasp from the quad-pipe exhaust. Apologies to my neighbours. 

If you don’t need an SUV and the additional versatility that comes with it but fancy the same oily stuff, go for the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio. The only thing you miss out on is the all-wheel drive system. The Giulia only powers the rear wheels. Either way, both cars are great fun to drive. 

Oh, and I’ll skip calling it a Quadrifoglio from now on, as it’s using too much proverbial ink. We’ll go with Stelvio Q (there’s a Q4 badge on the rump of the car). 

The all important numbers

The Stelvio Q is quick, sprinting from a standstill to 60mph in just 3.8 seconds. Really open her up, and you’ll hit a top speed of 176mph. It’s also surprisingly nimble. You can chuck it around on a B-road and, when you hit the straight and floor the throttle, you’ll be glad you had all-wheel drive because the car hurtles to the horizon…and the sound is fantastic. It belies its size, which is partly down to the fact that, when compared to a lot of other large SUVs, it’s lighter than most of them, coming in at 1.8 tonnes. The steering is light and direct, making it a great driver’s car. I’m sure you’ll love it. 

Driving experience

Yes, the ride is firm (it does tend to thump over potholes), but it’s not uncomfortable. The all-wheel drive system seems to struggle at really slow speeds when exiting your driveway, for example, causing the front wheels to scrabble under full lock. The 8-speed automatic gearbox can be jerky away from a standstill, but in general driving, the shifts are seamless. You can also change gears using steering wheel paddles, which adds to the sporty characteristics of the Stelvio Q and lets you play a tune with the exhaust. Granted, it doesn’t do a lot of good in terms of economy but keeping the revs fairly high guarantees some wonderful exhaust crackles and pops. It also means you can keep the turbos spinning, although to be fair, there’s no turbo lag. Just prod the throttle and the response is instant. 

Driver settings

There are various driver settings. Don’t bother with the Race setting, although it does increase the noise levels and throttle response. Neutral and Advanced take the edge off things but give you the best chance of achieving some sensible mpg figures, which top out at an estimated 23.9 mpg — the Advanced setting allows cylinder deactivation — but we liked Dynamic, which seems to provide the best compromise in terms of suspension settings and performance yet still retaining the exhaust noise. Keep the revs hovering around the 4000rpm mark and this sizeable car goes like a hot hatch.  

Interior

Hop inside and you’re met with an interior that initially looks a tad old fashioned, but it’s only after a while that you realise everything works well and is where it should be, including rafts of knobs and buttons. There’s not a slider in sight and no need to delve into the touchscreen menus. Perfect. 

In terms of kit, you get heated sports leather seats, sat nav via an 8.8-inch touchscreen, 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, DAB radio, LED matrix headlights, front and rear parking sensors, reversing camera, powered tailgate, and a cracking Harman Kardon audio system. In fact, even though the starting price of £95,890 (Feb 26) seems high, it’s worth comparing like for like with the competition because there really is no need to tip into the options catalogue. 

“Above all else, it’s really great to drive”

Alfa Romeo has achieved what a lot of other manufacturers have failed to do; they’ve built an SUV which is family friendly, classy, comfortable and versatile. And above all else, it’s really great to drive.

The most surprising thing about the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is that there aren’t more of them on our roads. If you like a sport SUV and haven’t considered the Q4, you’re missing a trick. 

words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Alfa Romeo