Alfa Romeo Stelvio: Buyer test drives [sponsored]

Sponsored by: Alfa Romeo

When you hear the name Alfa Romeo, you most likely picture an Italian sports car; that while great to drive, might not be the most sensible solution for your daily life.

But the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is a modern, functional SUV that still looks like a glamourous Italian sports car, remains great to drive, and makes much more sense on the school run.

The Stelvio is a five-seat, mid sized SUV, available in three model variants. We are driving the mid-spec Stelvio TI, finished in stunning Alfa Red – one of 13 choices!

Behind the power tailgate is 499-litre boot which expands to 1600-litres when the 40:20:40 split rear seat is folded. The rear seat itself offers enough leg room for taller passengers, plus there is an arm rest with cup holders, air vents, a pair of ISOFIX child seat mounting points and the added convenience of twin USB ports.

Up front, you score an 8.8-inch infotainment screen with support for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, dual-zone climate control, heated seats… and keyless start.

Under the bonnet of the TI is a 206kW 2-litre turbo petrol engine, shared with the Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce. Power is sent to all-four wheels via an 8-speed automatic transmission – using your choice of driving mode thanks to the Alfa Romeo DNA selector on the console.

It’s a lot of fun… but rather than just take my word for it, we’ve invited some SUV buyers to come and take it for a spin.

Let’s see what they think…