Skip advert
Advertisement

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio – design

Odd proportions make it look like a hatchback at a distance, but the Quadrifoglio has real presence up close

Evo rating
RRP
from £88,645
  • New diff works well; genuinely fun to drive
  • Interior less polished than rivals’; less fun than a Giulia

The biggest change as part of the 2024 updates are new LED matrix headlights with a ‘3+3’ design motif. They’re fully active, adjusting the main beam continuously at night to avoid dazzling other road users.

Like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, the Stelvio is based on the company’s Giorgio platform, albeit with a taller ride height. It was designed to target the likes of the BMW X3, Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC and – a particular benchmark targeted by insiders – the Porsche Macan. The Giulia was developed first and the Stelvio shortly after. The Giorgio platform enables a long bonnet and short front overhang; classic rear-wheel-drive proportions, even though the Stelvio is all-wheel-drive. Alfa’s design team paid plenty of attention to the C-pillar, aiming for a coupe-like shape while avoiding the hunched stance of some other coupe-crossovers.

Advertisement - Article continues below

> Italy bans Alfa Romeo Milano name, so now it’s Alfa Romeo Junior

It’s a tricky tradeoff for load area versus curved rear haunches when designing a car such as this, but the Stelvio manages to retain a usable boot area. The Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a divisive design with its pumped-up shape and aggressive detailing. If there is one indisputable fact, it is that the Stelvio looks like little else on the road, with its big triangular grille and those classic telephone dial wheels.

It has plenty of presence, sitting purposefully on its slightly oversized wheels and tyres, and sporting aggressive intakes and offset exhaust pipes. Of the performance SUV type, it’s more distinctive than the Porsche Macan, more dynamic than any performance Range Rover, if not quite as purposeful to some eyes as the Jaguar F-Pace SVR.

Six colours are available for 2024. With the earlier 2021 update came two new tri-coat colour options, with the usual Competitzione Red joined by Lipari Ochre (a deep, heavy metallic gold) and the near-teal Montreal Green from the Giulia GTA. A fabulous 21-inch telephone dial wheel design is also now available, but it does have a negative effect on ride quality, as discussed.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch
Honda Civic Type R deal
News

Honda Civic Type R for £5k off – save 10 per cent on the ultimate hot hatch

The Civic Type R is not long for this world and there are deals to be had on Honda’s pricey but near-perfect hot hatch
26 Jun 2025
Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?
Lotus factory
Opinion

Can Lotus survive its latest crisis?

Lotus’s latest troubles are grabbing headlines, but the writing’s been on the wall for some time.
28 Jun 2025
Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week
evo eras 1990s
Features

Iconic cars of the 1990s driven, from Renault Clio 16v to Ferrari 355 – car pictures of the week

In the latest issue of evo magazine, we go back to the 1990s on the finest Welsh roads with a selection of iconic youngtimers
27 Jun 2025