Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio Fast Fleet test – living with the 513bhp SUV

An Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio is on the evo fleet again. We last ran one back in 2019 and it left a lasting impression: ferociously quick, full of character, and just a little bit unhinged. Six years on, I’m keen to see if the latest version still possesses that same mix of pace and personality.

At a glance, the 2024-model-year Stelvio Quadrifoglio doesn’t look dramatically different from the original, and that’s no bad thing. Alfa has kept the same classic-style five-hole 20-inch wheels and made only subtle tweaks to the rest of the exterior: adaptive full-LED headlights with an updated DRL graphic give it a fresher face, but otherwise it’s still the same aggressive, purposeful-looking SUV.

> Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio Fast Fleet test – living with a 191mph four-door

Under the bonnet, the 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 remains, now pushing out 513bhp – up a modest 10bhp. Drive is still sent through an eight-speed auto to all four wheels, but the old torque-vectoring differential has been swapped for a purely mechanical one, as per the Giulia Quadrifoglio, where we found it more predictable in its behaviour and less prone to overheating. Unsurprisingly, the numbers haven’t changed much: the 0-62mph claim is still 3.8 seconds, while top speed has risen by 1mph to 177. That’s still properly quick for a family-friendly SUV, and if my last experience is anything to go by, it’ll feel every bit as rapid as those stats suggest.

Inside, the Stelvio sticks to largely the same formula as before: no oversized screens or unnecessary distractions have crept in, so there’s just the right amount of tech for it to feel modern without overcomplicating things. The standard leather sports seats provide plenty of support (more extreme Sparcos are a £3250 option), while the new, fully digital instrument cluster is crisp and clear.

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Options on our car include Montreal Green paint (£2000), red brake calipers (£450), an intelligent speed control upgrade for the driver assistance tech (£1100), and an Akrapovic sports exhaust (£3500). I’ve driven Stelvio Quadrifoglios with and without the Akrapovic system and there’s no question it adds an extra layer of intensity to the driving experience, bringing a sharper, more characterful V6 soundtrack punctuated by pops and bangs on overrun. Altogether, our car came in at £94,245 when it was new last year (it spent time performing other press fleet duties before we got our hands on it). Brand new today, you’d be looking at around £100k for the same spec – or a price starting with a seven if you’re happy not to be the first registered keeper and for the car to have covered a few dozen miles.

Behind the wheel, the seating position remains a little high, and some of the old quirks linger, such as the way the tyres scrub on full lock due to the geo settings. The brakes are seriously sharp at the top of the pedal’s travel too, with just the lightest touch enough to dramatically slow the car (and this is with the standard cast-iron items, not the £7200 carbon-ceramics). It takes a bit of getting used to, but after a few miles you start to adapt to its responses. The revised suspension has a noticeable firmness to it by default, so my go-to set-up is Sport mode for the powertrain but with the suspension returned to soft – the perfect balance for a proper stretch of road. And when that road arrives, the Stelvio still feels like a true Alfa: fast, charismatic, and a little bit wild. It’s hard not to love it.

I really enjoyed my time with our previous Stelvio Quadrifoglio, and so far it looks like time hasn’t tarnished the model’s appeal. I’m looking forward to some adventures in our new one, and it’s already had an interesting start, being put through its paces on an advanced driving course, including some time on track.

This story was first featured in evo issue 333.