The new Alfa Romeo Stelvio is, by all means, a well-deserved breath of fresh air in a segment dominated by vehicles such as the Porsche Macan, Mercedes GLC, Jaguar F-Pace, Audi Q5, and others.
But is it really the smartest choice? Consumer Reports have started the journey of answering this question by buying a Stelvio of their own, and fitting it with the Driver Assistance Static Package, Driver Assist Dynamic Plus Package, Harman Kardon sound system, sunroof, and a few other optionals, which added up to a total of $52,040.
This is the Ti model, powered a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine that channels 280hp and 306lb-ft (415Nm) of torque to the Q4 all-wheel drive system through an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
As expected, the Stelvio is very agile on a straight, and it can also corner properly. Its quick steering makes it fun to drive, and the suspension may be somewhat firm, but it’s not stiffer than a similar Macan or F-Pace, and absorbs most bumps in the road, easily.
However, it’s not all smiles with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, because the transmission is not always smooth, especially at low speeds, and it seems that the SUV has a few flaws inside, that we’ll let the reviewer cover.