The range-topping version of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio wants to be not just another very fast SUV, but one that can manage to thrill you around the bends like a proper sports car, too.
After all, having an SUV with more than 500hp was never going to be a rational purchase. Based on the same chassis as the Giulia, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is powered by a twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 with 505hp and 443lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to a rear-biased all-wheel drive system via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
As you would expect, straight-line performance is pretty impressive, with the 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) dash taking just 3.9 seconds while top speed sits at 176 mph (283 km/h).
To harness all that power, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio makes use of adaptive dampers, stiffer springs, fatter anti-roll bars, a torque-vectoring differential and six-piston Brembo brakes that nest within 20-inch alloy wheels.
You can opt for carbon-ceramic brakes, too, but apparently the steel rotors do their job extremely well. Other options include a set of lightweight carbon-shelled Sparco bucket seats and the rather lovely blue paint finish featured in this test car.
Alfa’s range topping SUV lapped the Nurburgring in an impressive 7 minutes and 51.7 seconds, proving that it truly has the talent to back up its claims.
So, is the Stelvio Quadrifoglio really a sports car disguised as an SUV? Let’s see what KBB has to say about it.