Alfa Romeo Stelvio review - interior and tech
Nostalgic design touches aren't enough to distract from what is a relatively basic, low-rent cabin for the price
The Stelvio’s cabin is much the same as that of the Giulia, and while it was passable at launch – particularly at the initial £33,990 asking price – it's now behind the curve, and rivals offer markedly better fit and finish for the same money. The flowing curved dashboard, aluminium paddle shifters and cowled instruments provide a distinctly Alfa feel, but the environment isn't as premium as you'll find inside a BMW X3 or Jaguar F-Pace.
It's a shame that Alfa didn't follow Jaguar's lead with its mid-size SUV, which was transformed by a complete interior overhaul in 2020. Instead, the latest Stelvio gets a new (and rather lovely) digital instrument pack which evokes the analogue dials of classic 105-series Alfas, a reprofiled steering wheel and small tweaks to the centre console. Each of these make a difference, but the fundamental material quality still isn't good enough for a near £50k SUV.
Still, the ergonomics are solid, and the bank of physical climate controls are intuitive to use. The Stelvio feels a great deal more spacious than many of its rivals too, and there’s plenty of adjustment where it’s required. Oh, and the heated steering wheel (standard on all but the base model) gets up to truly scorching temperatures – especially welcome on a cold winter day.
While we appreciate the use of a physical rotary controller for the infotainment system, the 8.8-inch setup isn't the biggest, brightest or most advanced available at this price. With standard Android Auto and Apple CarPlay there's here's enough functionality to get by, but it can be fiddly navigate the various menus and the graphics are off the pace, particularly in comparison to the Pivi Pro and iDrive systems from Jaguar and BMW respectively.
