In theory, there isn’t a single, solid reason for a car like the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio to exist but in the SUV-hungry world we leave in, there are some customers that demand sports car-like driving thrills from their family-friendly crossovers.
And as mad as it sounds, Alfa Romeo went on and actually did it; the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is basically a sports car on stilts, a 505 hp driving machine that also happens to fit your family and all its stuff.
Power comes from the Ferrari-derived twin-turbo 2.9-liter V6 engine paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission and an all-wheel drive system. The latter is heavily rear-biased thanks to the Giorgio platform and features torque vectoring for the rear axle.
The quad exhaust pipes play a distinctive, angry music that pauses with a loud bang every time you use the elongated steering paddles. The steering is fast and accurate while the way it dives into corners makes some hyper hatches full of envy. This isn’t a typical super-fast SUV apparently, but a genuine lough-out-loud driving experience.
The numbers say that the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will reach 62 mph (100 km/h) from a standstill in 3.8 seconds and will keep accelerating until it hits 176 mph (283 km/h).
Does this mean it can’t do all the boring family stuff with the same success of some of its rivals? Is there a significant trade-in for all this awesomeness. Let’s see what Carwow has to say on the video linked below.