Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio | Spotted

For a very long time, Alfa Romeo didn't have an SUV - then it made one of the best

By Matt Bird / Thursday, 12 November 2026 / Loading comments

It can be hard to imagine now, with the Stelvio having been around for yonks and proven very popular, that there was a long time that Alfa Romeo didn’t offer an SUV. Whatever form the replacement takes, and whenever it arrives, Stelvio the second surely can’t have the impact - not to say the significance - of the first.

While cars like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5 had existed for a good few years and sold well, it wasn’t until the LA show in 2016 that Alfa Romeo decided to embark on its own SUV journey. And the first comment on the PH news story? ‘Oh look, a hideous van-shaped blobby mess with ‘an Alfa nose’ stuck on it’. Of course.

And that wasn’t in response to just the standard car, either, as Alfa chose to launch its own 4x4 with some intent and showed the 510hp Quadrifoglio first. Pretty much the norm these days in a world of 1,000hp-plus electric trucks, but before an X3 M or a GLC AMG it was properly attention grabbing. Whether you liked the look or not, you knew about the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio by the end of 2016.

The standard models were received well, a large step on from any ‘normal’ Alfa that came before, which heightened anticipation for the QF. It duly delivered: there was the same irrepressible energy to the way it drove as the Giulia saloon. The SUV wasn’t quite as good, riding a bit more tensely, though as these sorts of cars go it was a revelation: agile, sharp and alive, never happier than when being driven flat out and demonstrating how clever the Q4 all-wheel drive was.

Much as with the Giulia, the established competitors had gone from no Alfa rival in decades (or ever, in this case) to going up against one of the best cars in the glass. Maybe the interior wasn’t stellar, but it was more than good enough. And then the Quadrifoglio claimed a Nurburgring lap record…

Inevitably the impact of a 510hp Alfa SUV has lessened over the years, and as the RRP has climbed - what was £70k at the end of 2018 became almost £90k by early 2024 - so it’s become less recommendable in the face of newer competition. Or has it? The same old Macan carried on until recently, the X3 M was never as nice as a plain old M3, AMG SUVs with four, six and eight cylinder never ride quite right… Paying so much for a Stelvio looks ill advised - the car itself maybe not so much.

Higher mileage ones are already down below £30k; this early 2019 car appeals with Competizione Red paint, sunroof, leather and Alcantara wheel and upgraded audio. Doesn’t look far off that original show car, in fact. Mileage is pretty modest at a bit over 50k, it’s been serviced seven times and there are precious few signs of wear. You’ll probably want those MOT advisories looked at sooner than later but, hey, it’s an Alfa Romeo. Something charisma something flawed something imperfect.

Much as when it was new, the asking price of this Stelvio - £32k - buys all manner of alternatives. But this really is a memorable performance car in all the best ways. Without a successor in Alfa’s immediate future, and with such love for the Quadrifoglios, a good one surely isn’t going to plummet in value. Maybe it will become the winter SUV that sticks around for quite a few…

SPECIFICATION | ALFA ROMEO STELVIO QUADRIFOGLIO

Engine: 2,891cc, twin turbocharged V6
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@2,500rpm
MPG: 31.4 (NEDC combined)
CO2: 210g/km
Year registered: 2019
Recorded mileage: 52,000
Price new: £69,500
Yours for: £31,989