Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio - long-term review

The revamped Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio has quite literally thundered into the TG Garage. If its £3,500 Akrapovic exhaust wasn't enough to draw attention, the fetching Montreal Green paintwork and those aggressively handsome looks will.

Beneath the vented bonnet, Alfa has managed to cling on to the potent 2.9 litre V6 biturbo engine, albeit with a little tickle. It’s now cranking out 512bhp, up from 503bhp. That’s good for flinging its 1,850kg mass from 0-62mph in a blistering 3.9 seconds. It’s a cracking power plant, and with ever more stringent emissions regulations, there’s not long left to enjoy it.

Noteworthy improvements for the Quadrifoglio’s facelift include Alfa’s latest LED matrix ‘Trilobe’ headlights, new taillights, alongside a shift from analogue dials to a new 12.3” digital instrument cluster. The interior remains largely unchanged, although the new 3D textured carbon trim, replacing the previous model’s glossy finish, seems like a slight downgrade to me.

As the range-topper, it includes an abundance of standard features for the £87,195 list price, but we’ve got a few optional extras on this one. Besides the £2,000 paint upgrade and the £3,500 exhaust, an additional £450 adds a flash of red to the brake calipers. It’s a nice contrast sitting behind the recognisable 20” five-hole ‘telephone dial’ wheels. Then we’ve got the £1,100 Driver Assistance Pack, which includes Traffic Jam Assist, Intelligent Speed Control, and the Highway Assist System. Not essential, but certainly appreciated on longer drives.

Tally it all up, and you're looking at £94,245. Mamma Mia, I hear you exclaim. Indeed, that price is quite steep, especially when you consider that an entry-level diesel Stelvio starts at £45,630. Out of curiosity, I tinkered with the online configurator and uncovered that speccing the carbon ceramic brakes will breach the £100k mark, a terrifying thought for a Stelvio, but perhaps justifiable for those planning laps around Silverstone.

First impressions with the Quadrifoglio highlighted its nimbleness and satisfying roar of the quad-tip Akrapovic exhaust. It’s obnoxiously loud and incredibly quick, which admittedly made it a tad overqualified for its initial outing to the garden centre to load up with compost and paving slabs. It did, however, draw attention to the Stelvio’s rather spacious 525 litre boot.

The frisky Stelvio is here for to stay for the summer, so be sure to keep an eye out for updates as we continue to explore its capabilities over the coming months.