Alfa Romeo's first SUV, the Stelvio, has an interesting performance version, and it comes with 503 horsepower (510 PS) from the factory. It was the quickest SUV on the Nürburgring Nordschleife for a while, but that has not helped it gain as many customers as its rivals.
Its low sales figures may be related to its price, and a Stelvio Quadrifoglio can get expensive as fast as it can sprint from naught to 62 mph (100 kph). But it might also be a matter of brand image or brand awareness, which may not enjoy the same values as equivalent models from BMW, Mercedes-AMG, or Porsche.
Despite this, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio still has its fans and customers, and it received a facelift for the 2020 model year. The model's performance figures were not changed, but other aspects of the user experience were improved. But what about more power? Well, it seems that Alfa Romeo does not want to release the taps any further.
With that in mind, several tuning companies have risen to the challenge. We already know that the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which shares its engine and transmission with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, can provide as much as 653 horsepower and 790 Nm of torque (ca. 582 lb-ft) with the Manhart tuning package.
It is evident that the same can be accomplished with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it seems that nobody has been bothered yet. That rise in power involved fitting new turbochargers, a set of downpipes, and reflashing the ECU.
But what can be obtained if the owner just wants a smaller power hike, and is willing to go for an ECU tune? Well, we have an answer, as a company called Squadra Tuning (fun fact: "Squadra" means “team” in Italian), offers packages for the Giulia and the Stelvio in their gasoline-engined versions.
One of those variants, not yet listed on the Squadra Tuning website, was tested by the folks at AutoTopNL. According to the specs they presented, the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 unit provides 560 horsepower and 766 Nm (564 lb.-ft.) after getting a tune from the Dutch company. In stock form, it had 600 Nm of torque (443 lb-ft), and 503 horsepower (510 PS).
Its 0-100 kph (62 moh) sprint takes place in 3.8 seconds, while the top speed is now claimed to be 283 kph (ca. 175 mph). Let us see how it does on the German Autobahn!
Despite this, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio still has its fans and customers, and it received a facelift for the 2020 model year. The model's performance figures were not changed, but other aspects of the user experience were improved. But what about more power? Well, it seems that Alfa Romeo does not want to release the taps any further.
With that in mind, several tuning companies have risen to the challenge. We already know that the Giulia Quadrifoglio, which shares its engine and transmission with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, can provide as much as 653 horsepower and 790 Nm of torque (ca. 582 lb-ft) with the Manhart tuning package.
It is evident that the same can be accomplished with the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, but it seems that nobody has been bothered yet. That rise in power involved fitting new turbochargers, a set of downpipes, and reflashing the ECU.
But what can be obtained if the owner just wants a smaller power hike, and is willing to go for an ECU tune? Well, we have an answer, as a company called Squadra Tuning (fun fact: "Squadra" means “team” in Italian), offers packages for the Giulia and the Stelvio in their gasoline-engined versions.
One of those variants, not yet listed on the Squadra Tuning website, was tested by the folks at AutoTopNL. According to the specs they presented, the 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 unit provides 560 horsepower and 766 Nm (564 lb.-ft.) after getting a tune from the Dutch company. In stock form, it had 600 Nm of torque (443 lb-ft), and 503 horsepower (510 PS).
Its 0-100 kph (62 moh) sprint takes place in 3.8 seconds, while the top speed is now claimed to be 283 kph (ca. 175 mph). Let us see how it does on the German Autobahn!