2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio TI Sport Review

Written By: Jerry Reynolds | Apr 6, 2020 1:00:00 AM

This week I am reviewing the 2020 Alfa Romeo Stelvio TI Sport. A midsized SUV that I would call both a luxury and performance SUV. I had my first experience with this vehicle in 2017 and I have to say, I was less than impressed, so getting another one did not exactly make me giddy.

With that said, I was very pleasantly surprised to get under the wheel of the all-new 2020 model. The exterior was pleasant, although I’ve never been a big fan of the V-shaped grill, but I understand that is the signature of Alfa, a 105-year old automaker which until 3-years ago only made cars. That says a lot about this SUV-crazy world we live in.

Exterior

The exterior looks great in white, with 20” black wheels, a rear spoiler, distinctive lines, and black dual exhaust coming through the bumper.

Powertrain

Under the hood you find an all-aluminum turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine that is putting out 280-horses and 306 pound-feet of torque, very impressive for a 4-banger. It comes with an 8-speed automatic that features the same large, fixed shift paddles that my Maserati Quattroporte has. I love this because they don’t move when you are in a turn needing to downshift. 0-to-60 comes in a respectable 5.4 seconds, and top speed is 144-miles per hour.

By the way, Fiat Chrysler owns Alfa Romeo, Maserati, and Ferrari and you see hints of all three in the Stelvio.

All Stelvios have the Q4 all-wheel drive system that is rear-biased, meaning the power goes to the rear wheels unless the all-wheel system is engaged, then it can shift 60% of the power to the front wheels.

If you want to step up to more power, there is also a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 that puts out 505-horses and is one of the fastest SUVs on the road.

Interior

When I knew this Stelvio was all-new, was when I opened the door to a fantastic interior. The 2018 I had three years ago was a real letdown when I saw multitudes of plastic inside, especially a massive dash of all-black plastic.

This time I was greeted by a stitched leather dash with hoods over colorful gauges. In the center of the gauge cluster is a configurable driver information center. There is a flat-bottom steering wheel with controls that is also soft to the touch and quite pleasant to the touch. The steering wheel is also where the start button is, like you’ll find on most Italian sports cars.

The front seats are extremely bolstered and quite comfortable once you get settled into them. They are so bolstered that it makes getting in a bit challenging, but you quickly learn how to navigate ingress and egress.

The center console is surrounded by carbon fiber and looks fantastic. There is a wireless charger for your phone, a drive mode selector with three choices, the electronic gear shifter, emergency brake, and radio volume. Two cup holders sit forward of the console and a sliding door covers them.

Above that in the center stack is an 8.8” touch screen that operates the audio, Bluetooth, navigation, SiriusXM, HD radio, Apple CarPlay, and Android auto. There is a bit of a learning curve with the system, but once you get it down, it becomes easy.

The back seat in the Stelvio offers up good head room, but legroom is a little tight. Still, two and a half people could sit there just fine. Back seat occupants have their own air conditioner vents and USB ports, and a fold down center console. The cargo area offers up to 55-cubic feet of cargo with the 2nd-row seat folded down, there is a cargo cover for valuables, and underneath there is additional storage.

Standard Equipment and Options

Standard equipment includes full-speed forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, keyless entry, remote start, power folding mirrors, power liftgate, and the start/stop system which can be disabled.

There are $14,000 in options on my tester, most noteworthy are: power seats, lane keeping assist, blind-spot monitoring, driver attention alert, adaptive cruise controls, traffic sign recognition, and automatic high beam headlight control.

Also, in options, you get a fantastic dual-pane power sunroof, a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, red brake calipers, a hands-free power liftgate, and active suspension.

Ride and Drive

The driving dynamics of the Stelvio are fantastic, very characteristic of my own Maserati sedan. Handling is precise, there is zero roll in hard turns, and the steering is tight and controlled, but not overly tight. Acceleration is surprisingly good. This is truly a driver’s vehicle that you can enjoy on a daily basis.

Fuel Economy and What You’ll Pay

Fuel economy is 22 in the city, and 28 on the highway, for a combined 24 overall, and I am tracking slightly better in all aspects of driving.

MSRP is $59,745 which for what you get is a good buy when looking at comparable SUVs in this segment.

Verdict

I understand that there is a stigma out there about Alfa quality, but this one seems incredibly well built and solid. As the owner of an Italian-made vehicle for almost three years myself, which has been perfect, it is time to let the past go.