LIKES
- Huge personality
- Sports sedan handling
- Fantastic engines
- So, so balanced
DISLIKES
- Brakes could be better
- Back seat is cramped
- Unimpressive infotainment
- Small dealer network
BUYING TIP
- The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is just fine in base Sprint form, or consider splurging for the Estrema.
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is an SUV that wants to be a sports sedan—or sports coupe.
What kind of vehicle is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio? What does it compare to?
A five-seat crossover SUV with luxury pricing and sporty tuning, the 2023 Stelvio competes with cars such as the Audi Q5, Mercedes GLC, and BMW X3.
Is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio a good car/SUV?
It’s neither the most practical nor the most frugal, but the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is arguably the most interesting compact luxury SUV. We rate it at 6.2 out of 10, thanks to its decent value, its thrilling performance, and its unabashed personality.
What's new for the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio?
The Stelvio lineup adds a new Estrema trim level this year, which notches just below the full-bore Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Look for adaptive dampers and a limited-slip rear differential at a relatively decent price point.
Underhood, the 280-hp 2.0-liter turbo-4 offers good power, and it teams with a well-behaved 8-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive comes standard on all but the base Stelvio Sprint trim level.
The better part of $90,000 buys the Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which finds itself hosting a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6 with legitimate Ferrari lineage. Its 505 hp is no joke: this is a proper performance SUV. Truly, though, no Stelvio suffers when it comes to handling and ride quality. Slightly too-manic steering aside, these SUVs entertain at all times—even when they should take a chill pill.
They’re not luxurious inside, at least compared to Germany’s best, but they check the basics, with reasonable infotainment, decent space, and an unusually large amount of driver-assistance tech as standard fare.
We’re still awaiting a full barrage of crash tests, but standard automatic emergency braking and adaptive cruise control are high points, and Alfa offers a convenient system that can handle traffic jams on its own.
How much does the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio cost?
Figure just shy of $48,000 to start, or about $50,000 with all-wheel drive. That money buys leather seats that are heated up front, an 8.8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, and a reasonable array of crash-avoidance tech.
Most drivers will be fine at that point, but the new Estrema for $61,000 serves as the de-facto sporty version for drivers seeking a little more zip without going full-tilt with the Quadrifoglio.
In Italy.
Styling
Few compact SUVs are as stylish as the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
Is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio a good-looking car?
It’s lovely. Curvy, sleek lines outside pair well enough with a modern cabin to earn the 2023 Stelvio an 8 out of 10.
The swept-back design channels Alfa Romeo’s 1950s—and even earlier—past while still staying fresh, with features such as standard adaptive headlights. More tall wagon than true SUV, the Stelvio doesn’t try too hard to stretch Giulia styling elements into a high-riding shape. There’s no hint of off-roadiness, however, and that’s just fine.
Wheel sizes range from 18- to 20-inch diameters, with the mid-level 19s best filling the Stelvio’s big wheel wells.
Inside, the 8.8-inch touchscreen in the center of the dash cants slightly toward the driver, with convenient controls below. The look is fairly fresh and modern, especially with wood or carbon fiber trim options. Standard leather elevates the look, at least compared to rivals with synthetic hides.
Performance
More sports sedan than SUV, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio delivers spectacular handling and acceleration.
Spectacular handling, a ferocious engine lineup, and a reasonable ride in most configurations elevate the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio to an 8 out of 10 on the TCC scale.
Is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio 4WD?
All but the base version of the Stelvio Sprint come standard with all-wheel drive.
The base 2.0-liter turbo-4 that powers most Stelvio models puts 280 hp to the wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission for terrific acceleration. Alfa quotes an impressive 5.4-second 0-60 mph sprint, and we believe it. The Stelvio is certainly one of the quickest 4-cylinder SUVs around.
Quadrifoglios go about a dozen steps farther, with 505 hp streamed to all four wheels via a version of the same gearbox. This Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V-6 is as good as it gets from internal combustion.
The quick steering rack Alfa fits to the Stelvio means an ultra-responsive feel that may be a bit too zippy for some shoppers. If you’re after a sporty SUV, though, the buck truly stops here. The Stelvio has a somewhat firm ride, which is nicely quelled by the new Estrema trim level’s adaptive dampers. That said, Quadrifoglio models can be too stiff for rough-road commuting.
Comfort & Quality
There are more spacious compact luxury SUVs than the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio.
The 2023 Alfa Romeo stelvio is a driver’s car, not one intended to offer a spacious cabin. If that’s what you’re after, keep shopping. We score the Stelvio at a 6 out of 10 thanks to its good front seats and reasonable cargo area, with a point dialed back for poor second-row accommodations.
Drivers and passengers up front sit on leather-wrapped and heated thrones with good power adjustment and impressive bolstering for cornering. The 31.9 inches of rear-seat leg room the Stelvio offers would disappoint on a subcompact car, let alone a $50,000-plus SUV. It’s not comfy back there.
The cargo area offers a smallish 18.5 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks up, but that grows to a more useful 56.5 cubes with the seatbacks flopped down.
Safety
The 2023 Alfa Romeo comes with a good array of safety features.
How safe is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio?
We can’t say for certain, though it will do a good job trying to avoid a collision thanks to standard automatic emergency braking, active blind-spot monitors, automatic high-beam headlights, and adaptive cruise control.
Active lane control, and a traffic-jam assistance system are optional and widely available.
Features
Alfa Romeo packs a decent amount of features into the Stelvio.
The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a decent overall value, with good standard features and a wide range of optional extras. It rates 7 on the TCC scale.
The Stelvio Sprint serves as the entry to the lineup at $47,795. That’s not cheap, but every Stelvio rolls out of Italy for the U.S. with leather seats, 18-inch alloy wheels, power-adjustable and heated front seats, heated steering wheel, and an 8.8-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Add in the Stelvio’s comprehensive safety tech, and it’s a good value.
It also comes with a 4-year/50,000-mile warranty with a single free service visit in the first year.
Which Alfa Romeo Stelvio should I buy?
The base model is a good enough buy on its own. This year’s new Estrema runs $60,545, and it adds navigation, a big sunroof, 21-inch wheels, adaptive dampers, leather dash trim, and a Harman/Kardon audio system.
How much is a fully loaded Alfa Romeo Stelvio?
Fuel Economy
With the turbo-4, the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio delivers acceptable fuel economy.
Is the Alfa Romeo Stelvio good on gas?
It’s OK with the base engine. All-wheel drive is more popular, and the EPA rates the 2023 Stelvio at 22 mpg city, 28 highway, 24 combined. That’s a 2 on our scale, but rear-drive models average 25 mpg and would earn a 3.
The Quadrifoglio is predictably thirsty at 17/23/19 mpg, which really isn’t that bad given all the power underhood.
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