Alfa Romeo has released an extensive photo gallery to celebrate the launch of the all-new Stelvio Quadrifoglio, the SUV version of our favorite Italian sports sedan. It's got everything an Alfa needs: red paint draped over a sexy body.
This is Alfa's first SUV, and some people don't like that. We don't know why, because looking past some of its design quirks, it's far better than the Maserati Levante. Some might even argue that it's done more cohesively than the Lamborgini Urus, but that's somewhat of a stretch.
While all regular versions of the Stelvio come with a 2.0-liter engine (the diesel is a little bigger, but still a 4-banger), this Quadrifoglio version comes with a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6. 3/4 of a Ferrari California engine gets you 510 horsepower, a 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed well in excess of what most SUVs can do.
Perhaps more telling of the performance this model is capable of is the fact that it went around the Nurburgring in just 7:51.7 minutes. To put that into perspective, the Range Rover Sport SVR did it in 8:14 while a Honda Civic Type R laps the track in 7:43.8. It's a record that we're sure Porsche and Lamborghini are sure to go after next year.
Even if you just want to go in a straight line, this is a mighty budget Ferrari. Sure, the GLC 63 S matches the output of the Stelvio perfectly, but the Macan, even when fitted with the Performance Pack, is down 60 HP.
Modern all-wheel-drive systems are brilliant at making cars look faster on paper - take the Golf R for example. However, the Stelvio QV is the other way around, thanks to a relatively low weight of 1.8 tons, Pirelli P Zero tires and a snappy gearbox with a 285 section at the back.
Buy it and enjoy. But don't hold onto the car once the warranty has expired.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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