A resurgent Alfa Romeo has priced its first performance SUV, the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio, from $149,900 plus on-road costs.
When it lands mid-January, the Italian-built Stelvio Quadrifoglio, or Stelvio Q, will rival three contenders from the UK and Germany.
There’s the $140,020+ORC Jaguar F-Pace SVR, which uses a 404kW/680Nm 5.0-litre supercharged V8 to accelerate to 100km/h in 4.3 seconds, as well as the $164,530+ORC Mercedes-AMG GLC 63 S that deploys a 375kW/700Nm 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 to reach triple-figure speed in 3.8sec. Plus, the $143,500+ORC Porsche Macan Turbo Performance Pack also lines up, all 324kW/600Nm 3.6-litre twin-turbo V6 of it enabling a 4.1sec sprint time.
The Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadifoglio makes 375kW at 6500rpm and 600Nm from 2500rpm until 5000rpm from its 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine, but unlike the Giulia QV it drives all four wheels instead of just the rears. An eight-speed automatic is retained, assisting the 1830kg medium SUV to 100km/h in 3.8sec.
As standard there’s 20-inch alloy wheels with 255mm-wide, 45-aspect front tyres and 285/40 rears respectively. Six-piston, 360mm front and four-piston, 350mm rear Brembo brakes sit behind, while further in again there’s adaptive suspension with Normal and Dynamic modes. Torque vectoring can control drive to each rear wheel individually, as part of the Q4 all-wheel drive system that is 100 per cent rear-driven until slip is detected – at which point the system can send 50 per cent of drive to the fronts.
Alfa Romeo also claims 50:50 weight distribution and “the most direct” steering in the segment.
Standard interior equipment includes leather/Alcantara upholstery, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, carbonfibre trim, adaptive cruise control, 8.8-inch colour display with satellite navigation, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone mirroring technology, digital radio and 14-speaker Harman Kardon audio. Safety kit extends to autonomous emergency braking (AEB), lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitor, front and rear parking sensors with rear cross-traffic alert and a rear-view camera.
Options include carbon-ceramic brakes ($12,000), Sparco carbonfibre racing seats ($5000), and a dual-pane panoramic sunroof ($2400).
Year-to-date to October 2018, Alfa Romeo has sold 281 Stelvios, ahead of the 251 Giuliettas but behind a dominant 536 Giulias. Either way, its sales of 1088 are up 26.7 per cent on last year’s 859-unit haul, with two months of the year remaining.
