Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio review - engine, gearbox and technical specs
Twin-turbo V6 is a hugely exciting engine, complemented by a fantastic gearbox
Beneath the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s aluminium bonnet is the 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6 as found in the Giulia Quadrifoglio. Power is the same, at 503bhp, and torque, too, at 442lb ft, but the eight-speed ZF gearbox has been recalibrated to suit both the increase in kerb weight over the saloon and the four-wheel-drive transmission. It’s the first time this engine and gearbox combination has been offered with Alfa Romeo’s Q4 driveline.
Default mode for the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is rear-wheel drive, and it’s only when the system detects an angle of slip or a loss of traction that it will direct up to 50 per cent of the engine’s torque to the front wheels through a carbon propshaft. A rear limited-slip differential, active torque vectoring and Alfa’s Pro-DNA switchable drive mode system are all standard.
The Quadrifoglio comes fitted with cast-iron brakes, although carbon-ceramics are an option. Both 20- and 21-inch wheel packages are fitted with a Pirelli P Zero tyre by default – there’s no longer a Corsa option. A set of Pirelli winter tyres have also been homologated for the Stelvio Quadrifoglio.
Aluminium features extensively throughout the vehicle’s structure and chassis, keeping its weight comparatively low compared to rivals at 1830kg. If that sounds like a lot out of context, and it is, for reference the all-aluminium F-Pace SVR weighs in at 1995kg, despite only being marginally bigger on the road.
The suspension has the same engineering-first layout as the Giulia saloon, pairing a set of forged aluminium double wishbones at the front to a four-and-a-half-link system at the rear. The doors, brake carriers, wheelarches and the engine are all made of aluminium too, and the bonnet is made of carbon.
