TOGETHER WITH THE GIULIA QUADRIFOGLIO tested on page 78, Alfa Romeo has given its super-SUV a package of updates for 2024, which will likely see it through to the end of its life. Among them, a boost in power from 503bhp to 513bhp, new LED matrix headlights, revamped interior trim and a fresh digital instrument cluster, plus detail suspension retuning. The most significant update, however, is the fitting of a mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear. The price has increased by several thousand pounds, to an £87,195 starting point.
In the cabin, the TFT digital instrument panel has been updated with a new set of configurable displays, and textured '3D' carbon-fiber trim has been liberally applied over the transmission tunnel and dashboard. Although it's real carbon, its open-weave finish makes the interior look cheaper rather than more sophisticated, to this tester at least - but, 'eye', 'beholder' and so on. The dash's central screen looks more dated than ever in 2024, particularly in terms of map graphics, but it works tolerably well enough and you can hook up your smartphone via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. As with the rest of the interior, it's fine rather than outstanding in any way.
Interior sophistication might be a selling point for most premium SUVS but, happily, it's not what draws customers to this car, because, as before, the Stelvio Quadrifoglio is a car you'd buy because it is genuinely exciting to drive.
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the May 2024 edition of Evo UK.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
BMW M135 xDrive
The M135 has lost an and gained chassis revisions and a restyle. Is it enough to make it a benchmark hot hatch?
Audi S5
S5 by name, S4 by nature, is Audi's new mid-size petrol-powered saloon a step in the right direction?
Lamborghini Urus SE
Lambo's super-SUV gets a major mid-life overhaul, going hybrid in the process. Has it become any easier to like?
HALL evo OF FAME
The evo Hall of Fame was established to recognise the great and the good of our corner of the universe. Prepare to welcome this year's inductees
CIRCUIT DAY
After three days of assessing their behaviour on the road, it's time to head to the Circuito de Navarra to find out how our nine contenders respond when their handling limits are explored
EVO CAR OF THE YEAR 2024
Nine brilliant cars, from flyweight roadsters to bombastic supercars to a be-stickered estate(!), do battle on some of Europe's finest and most spectacular roads. Which will emerge victorious? Place your bets now.
Porsche Panamera GTS
It lacks the raw power of its hybrid rivals, but does the new GTS’s more traditional approach give it its USP?
Alpine A290 GTS
The new electric Renault 5 has won plenty of plaudits. Is the hotter Alpine version a car to win petrolheads' hearts too?
BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
TYRE 2024 TEST
Want to fit the very best tyres to your performance car? The annual evo Tyre Test identifies the cream of the current crop