2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio

The Stelvio comes in 7 trim levels; Base, Sport, Ti, Ti Lusso, Ti Sport and Quadrifoglio. Only the base trim has the option to choose either an RWD or AWD drivetrain, whereas all the remaining trims come with AWD as standard. Pricing starts at $40,550 for the base trim and goes up to $44,745 for the top trim. The base trim Stelvio has some interesting standard features like 18-inch alloy wheels, Brembo brakes, xenon headlamps, roof rails, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and smartphone integration in the infotainment system.

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio comes with some optional packages as well. From interior and exterior customization to better safety tech, the Alfa Stelvio offers it all. These optional packages have been listed in the table below:

Which Trim should you buy?

The 2019 Stelvio can be customized exactly the way you want it to. There aren’t any trim exclusive features. You can purchase the base trim level with the desired Drivetrain and add a sport package or any other option. The base Stelvio with the Sports package, Lusso Package, and Driver Assist dynamic package should be the least you should look out for. Anything beyond this would be for your leisure.

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio comes with the same 2.0L turbo engine on base and Ti trims. The 2.0L Turbo engine churns out a respectable 208 hp & 306 lb-ft of torque and is mated to an 8-Speed automatic transmission which is standard on all the trims. The Quadrifoglio comes with the 2.9L, Twin-Turbo V-6 engine that puts out 505 hp & 443 lb-ft of torque and also is equipped with fat, track-ready tires and carbon-ceramic brakes. 

The acceleration on the base trim engine is quick and responsive. The 5.4 seconds timing in the 0-60 mph run is nothing short of impressive for a compact SUV. The Quadrifoglio on the other hand is a different breed altogether. The Twin-turbo V-6 engine propels this heavy SUV like it's nothing and even beats the old supercar, Murcielago in the 0-60mph drag. As is with every Italian performance engine, this one not just performs well but has a soulful exhaust note too. No matter what engine you choose on the 2019 Stelvio, it performs better than its competition in every way possible.

The Stelvio has the highest power and torque output among the three. Also, the 2019 Stelvio is the fastest SUV in the segment no matter what engine you have. The Q5 would have definitely done better if it had some more horses to back it up, the Dual-clutch transmission on the Audi works like a charm. It comes in second behind the Alfa with a 0-60 mph time of 5.9 seconds. The Volvo and BMW are surprisingly the slowest among them, with 0-60 mph times of 6.5 seconds and 6.2 seconds respectively.

How well does the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio handle?

The handling of the Stelvio is astonishing. For an SUV, the car is nimble and likes to attack corners. Truly, Alfa Romeo has done an amazing job in making this SUV very fun to drive. The chassis feels agile and ready to make a move on your command. Body roll is very well under control. Moreover, the optional adaptive suspension makes things much better and the 8-speed transmission shifts accurately. In normal mode, it shifts sooner and keeps the revs on the low end.

The steering response of the Stelvio is one of its strongest suits. It feels very sharp and precise, gives the slightest of turns to the wheel and it reacts. The weight keeps gradually adding up as it should be. Stelvio comes with a D, N, and A (Dynamic, Natural & Advanced Efficiency) mode which adjusts throttle response accordingly. In our terms, the Dynamic mode with the optional paddle shifter is the best way to drive this SUV. The overall handling of the SUV is more like a hatchback and Stelvio quite literally looks like a beefed-up hatchback, isn’t it?

Braking Performance

The 2019 Stelvio comes with 13-inch rotors at the front and 12.5 inches at the rear and those handle the braking duties well. The Stelvio also has the least weight among its rivals which means better braking performance. The brake pedal feels on this Alfa Romeo is erratic. Sometimes it engages progressively, and sometimes it will engage in a snap. On the Quadrifoglio the carbon-ceramic brakes have more than enough stopping power and it isn’t your average joe SUV.

The 2019 Stelvio has the best braking performance in the segment, stopping at 127 feet. The Q5 took only a few feet extra to stop from 60 mph. The Volvo is the heaviest but had a better front brake than the rear. The rest of the competition has similar rotor sizes and weights so we expect a similar braking performance from the X3 and XC60.

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio has a similar fuel economy with its competition- it’s the overall range that differs. The AWD variant offers 29 mpg on the highway and 22 mpg in the city and returns 25 mpg combined. The performance-oriented Quadrifoglio demands a premium fuel to start with and returns 17 mpg in the city & 23 mpg on the Highway. The fuel tank capacity of 16.9 gallons takes a hit on the Stelvio’s range and thus has the least possible overall range in the segment, at 423 miles combined.

In terms of fuel efficiency, the BMW X3 is the most efficient with its combined mileage of 26 mpg. The Q5 and the XC60 return 24 mpg combined. The BMW X3 has a fuel capacity of 17.2 gallons. The Audi Q5 and XC60 have better fuel capacities overall, at 18.5 gallons. This converts into a range of 444 miles combined. The best combined range is offered by the BMW, just 3 miles more at 447 miles. However, the XC60 offers the best range out on the highway at 536 miles.

The interior of the 2019 Stelvio has a balance of luxury and sportiness. The first thing you would notice inside is the similarity of the interior with the Guilia. The dashboard design is artistic, like a piece of furniture. The lower and upper portions are separated and create a void in between. The way the infotainment screen is integrated inside the dashboard looks great. The dashboard gets covered in leather or soft-touch plastic depending on the options.

The front seats are pretty flat, some additional bolstering would have improved the overall comfort. The optional package will get you heavily bolstered seats along with contrasting stitching. The leather used on the seats is stiff and so are the headrests. The overall length of the seats is also inadequate for longer drivers. The second-row seats are flat bench-type ones and if options with the leather upholstery the overall comfort levels will take a hit. The headroom is enough on the second row if a dual-pane sunroof isn’t installed.

The interior space on the four cars is similar in terms of headroom, legroom, and shoulder room, but the Volvo XC60 offers a long front legroom of 41.5 inches. In the rear, the Volvo again offers incredible space whereas the Alfa really pulls the legroom in at 31.9 inches. This is not uncomfortable, but really short when compared to the rivals. The trunk capacity of the Stelvio is generous but competition is offering much more: the BMW X3 offers a huge 28.7 cu-ft of standard cargo space. The seats can be folded in a 40/60 manner but it’s a two-step job. Flip a switch and then manually poke the seats away from the position. This opens up a maximum capacity of 56.5 cu-ft and comes close to the BMW’s 62.7 cu-ft maximum capacity. Standout interior features:

• Leather upholstery
• 10-way power-adjustable front seats
• Driver's seat memory settings
• Leather-wrapped steering wheel
• Heated front and rear seats
• Heated steering wheel

What’s there to keep you entertained?

The 2019 Stelvio gets a rather basic 6.5-inch screen and an 8-speaker sound system including Android Auto & Apple CarPlay. The screen is controlled by a rotary knob. You can opt for a bigger 8.8-inch screen but that isn’t touch-sensitive either. The overall UI consists of a small list type menu which is kind of difficult to see from a distance and the navigation graphics resemble old video game graphics. The unit is neatly done, with clean technology and a very focused approach. It is, however, pretty outdated and not Stelvio’s strength. Standout infotainment features:

• 6.5-inch/ 8.8-inch screen
• Apple CarPlay & Android Auto
• Navigation
• SiriusXM
• Voice Commands
• Bluetooth
• 14 speaker Harman Kardon sound system (Optional)

It is very obvious that Alfa Romeo didn’t really take any special efforts to design the 2019 Stelvio. The 2019 Stelvio is the Guilia, with a taller, wider, and longer body at best. For some people, this would be completely fine and kind of signifies the success Alfa has had with the Guilia. The front triple grille setup looks better on this SUV compared to the sedan Guilia. Even the headlight setup matches the overall brawn of this SUV. The Stelvio looks like a curvy SUV from afar but upon closer inspection, it reveals the Italian design elements. 

The body has very minutely designed lines and curves all over. The rear is strictly Italian by design, and Alfa has left no stone turned in making the rear as appealing as possible. The body lines on the tail light section, with the taillights that mimic the headlamps and the dual exhaust setup all, work in favor of the Stelvio. The lower part of the rear is punched in to create an integrated bumper-like effect. All these make the Stelvio standout and people who have an eye for detail will appreciate this SUV more. The color options for this SUV are vivid with 11 metallic shades present that cost just $550 extra over the standard Alfa Rosso(Red) and Alfa White options.

Finding differences between the exterior dimensions of these four cars is like finding a needle in a stack of hay. However, to point out differences that won’t be seen to the naked eye, the BMW X3 is the longest car here. The Stelvio and the XC60 are the widest ones, and the X3 and the Stelvio are the tallest ones. The XC60 sits the most far-off from the ground at 8.5 inches. The Stelvio has the shortest wheelbase, whereas the BMW X3 has the longer wheelbase. Standout exterior features on the Stelvio:

• Gloss black roof rails
• Distinct Alfa Romeo Grille
• Brembo brakes
• 18-inch/19-inch/20-inch wheels
• Power liftgate
• Trailer hitch (Optional)
• Headlamp washers (Optional)
• Colored brake calipers (Optional)

The 2019 Alfa Romeo hasn't been tested by NHTSA or IIHS. Though the SUV comes with many safety features like airbags, traction control, stability control, tire pressure monitoring system, and rear parking sensors. That’s it, this is the standard list. All the active safety features like adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitor, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, and lane departure warning are optional and are bundled in two different packages becoming a total of $1000 approximately. Some safety features on the 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio include:

• Rear-view camera
• Tire Pressure Monitoring System
• Adaptive Cruise Control (opt)
• Lane Departure Warning (opt)
• Forward Collision Warning with emergency automatic braking (opt)
• Blind-spot Monitoring with rear-cross traffic alert (opt)

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs 2019 Volvo XC60

Volvo does everything better than the Stelvio except for the handling. The interior design and overall feel of the cabin are way better in the XC60. Volvo has an industry-leading infotainment system so no comparison here. The Standard set of safety features is something Volvo has been doing better than most in the industry and all this comes at a price lesser than the Alfa Romeo.

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs 2019 BMW X3

The BMW X3 is a very capable compact and has been delivering on the promise for years. Here again, the X3 excels in the interior and infotainment sections. The front seats on the BMW are better and more comfortable than the Stelvio. It isn’t all sunshine & rainbows. A heavy steering wheel and with options list soaring way past $55k for the final product will make you keep this one aside for a moment.

2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio vs 2019 Audi Q5

The Q5 is one of the most popular SUVs among buyers and that’s for a reason, it is comfortable, spacious and that Dual-Clutch transmission makes it act quickly. The Q5 even has better cargo space than the Stelvio. The Q5 is a no-nonsense SUV that lets you have it all.

The 2019 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is still a very new product and needs some polishing. Sure, driving the Stelvio is fun and all but the rest of the package doesn’t inspire one to make a purchase decision. The interior is good if optioned with packages. Active safety features are all there if optioned properly. The only thing that is not optional here is the driving experience, the rest of the SUV depends on how you customize it. It is like a barebones chassis and then you add pieces one by one to make a final product. There are many better alternatives out there and the 2019 Stelvio is a nice option to keep as an option.