BY JUSTIN HILLIARD | 6th Aug 2018
ALFA Romeo has some serious aspirations of taking on the German leaders Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi in the premium market space. In a world where ‘mad SUV disease’ has led to new-car buyers turning to crossovers in alarming numbers, the only way for the Italian brand to compete is with a higher-rider of its own. Enter the first-generation Stelvio mid-sizer.
While the Giulia mid-size sedan has been viewed by many pundits as critical to the ‘relaunch’ of Alfa Romeo, no model is more important than the Stelvio. Put simply, it will either make or break the marque in its latest bid at relevancy.
Needless to say, expectations are pretty high, and so they should be. The marque has had plenty of time to prepare its entrant in the SUV market.
One key question needs to be answered here: can the Stelvio bloody the noses of its GLC, X3 and Q5 rivals, or is it destined to be another low-volume, attractive but uncompetitive offering from Alfa Romeo? We test it in First Edition Diesel form to find out.