PROS

Italian styling; go-anywhere ruggedness; all-wheel drive; sporty driving characteristics; powerful engine options

MODEL HIGHLIGHTS

Powering the Stelvio is a 2.0L direct injection turbocharged 4-cylinder. It's the same engine that powers the Giulia, making 280 horsepower and an exceptional 306 lb-ft of torque. All that torque makes the Stelvio feel spry, even at low RPM's. Despite all that power and torque, the Stelvio's relatively small displacement engine helps give the Stelvio a weight distribution that is close to the ideal 50/50 split between front and back. Power from that engine is sent to all four wheels via an 8-speed automatic. The upcoming Quadrifoglio model also uses an engine borrowed from the Giulia, a 505-horsepower 2.9L twin-turbo V6. Acceleration is good with either engine, but obviously with over 500 horsepower, the Quadrifoglio is exceptionally quick, and not just for an SUV.

The Stelvio comes in four basic trims, not including the Quadrifoglio. The base trim, simply dubbed "Stelvio AWD" comes well equipped with leather seats, a backup camera, keyless go, passive entry and a remote starting system free of cost. Other standard items on the Stelvio AWD include power, 6-way driver and passenger seats, an 8-speaker sound system with a 6.5-inch touch screen, dual rear USB ports, a front USB port, Bluetooth connectivity, a 7-inch full color display gauge cluster, a universal garage door opener, rain sensing wipers, bi-xenon headlamps and LED tail lamps and 18-inch aluminum wheels.

The Stelvio Sport AWD adds a couple of thousand dollars to the base price. In addition to the base model, the Sport comes with aluminum paddle shifters, 19-inch wheels, a sportier feeling steering wheel wrapped in leather, as well as various black exterior accents around the windows and for the roof rails.

The Stelvio Ti comes with nicer interior accoutrements than the Sport AWD, though it only costs a couple of hundred dollars more. The Ti features dark grey oak interior trimming along with a bigger 8.8-inch widescreen display for the infotainment system. Heated front seats and a heated steering wheel are included.

The top of the line Ti Sport AWD combines the best of all worlds, with the exterior black accents from the Sport combined with the nicer infotainment system and heated seats. It also gets nicer 20-inch aluminum wheels.

The Quadrifoglio trim transforms the Stelvio from a sporty fun to drive SUV into a monster. Its 505 horsepower helps the Stelvio Quadrifoglio achieve a claimed top speed of 177 mph. It's not all about straight line speed though, the Quadrifoglio has massive brakes and super sticky tires; enough to achieve incredibly quick lap times if the Stelvio Quadrifoglio were to end up on a race track.

MODEL NEWS

The Stelvio is an all new vehicle for Alfa Romeo, marking the first time that the company has produced a modern SUV for the American market. It represents an attempt to combine the sporty driving characteristic that Alfas are known for, with the ruggedness and practicality of a 5-door SUV. At the same time, every inch of the new Stelvio is unmistakably Italian, making the vehicle somewhat of a rarity.

VALUE WRITEUP

Stelvio base prices are surprisingly reasonable, starting at just under $42,000. That base price puts it in competition with other small luxury SUVs such as the Audi Q5 and the BMW X3. However, from a styling and performance standpoint, the Stelvio lines up better with sportier vehicles like the Audi SQ5, the BMW X4 and the Porsche Macan, each significantly more expensive than the Stelvio. Pricing has not been announced on the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but with its twin-turbo V6 and 500-plus horsepower, it will undoubtedly be as fast as just about any SUV on the market.