Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio - long-term review

Having recently welcomed a tiny human to the world, it was about time our family of three ventured out of the London suburbs to embark on a jaunt to the Kentish countryside. With a gloriously sunny afternoon setting the scene, I was keen to test the Stelvio Quadrifoglio’s family credentials.

Right off the bat, the firm suspension of the Quadrifoglio, typically a drawback for daily driving on pot-holed roads, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The gentle bouncing and rocking put our little girl to sleep almost immediately. This was confirmed when we hit our first traffic jam, and the sudden stillness brought an unhappy screech from the back seat. Although I considered switching to the dynamic suspension’s firmest setting, I decided against it, not only for my child’s wellbeing but also for the sake of my spine.

Space-wise, the Stelvio offers decent room for adult passengers. Easy when you’re traveling with a baby, you might think. But alas, not after fitting a bulky Isofix baby seat. The front seat must be positioned quite far forward to accommodate the baby seat, meaning front legroom is reduced significantly. A minor inconvenience that future parents should keep in mind when planning road trips, but also one that is, admittedly, unavoidable. On the topic of space, the boot is ample too, easily accommodating the pram and other baby-related things. Of course, if space is an issue, you can opt for the roof bars for an additional £371 and buy yourself a roof box. As for towing, I’m afraid there’s no option for that with the Quadrifoglio.

The drive down the motorway was a breeze, thanks to the adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist. However, while it’s a godsend amidst the ubiquitous 50mph zones on British motorways, the lane-keep assist did prove to be a bit less refined than some of its competitors, often deactivating itself. This could be due to the blazing sunshine interfering with the cameras, which, to be fair, isn’t often an issue with British weather. Additionally, the inclusion of a wireless charging pad sans wireless Apple CarPlay left me scratching my head. If you’re going to commit to one, why not commit to both? For me, if I’m on a drive long enough to require a phone charge, I’m quite often using Apple CarPlay at the same time for navigation, phone calls, and music.

Anyway, as Waze (via wired Apple CarPlay) led us off the motorway through some questionable backroads, I had the chance to test the Quadrifoglio’s off-road abilities. When I say off-road, I mean a moderately bumpy dirt track because let’s be honest, no one is taking this thing off-roading. Either way, you’ll be glad to hear it handled it just fine. You will, however, be wincing at any potential damage to the highly kerbable 20in alloys.

After enjoying a seafood lunch and a leisurely stroll along the Whitstable beachfront, it was time to head home. As any new parent can attest, traveling with an infant can be a challenge, but the Stelvio Q proved to be a capable companion. It combines the thrill of a sports car (when the baby isn’t on board, of course) with the practicality required for family life. We’ve got some longer drives planned, so we’ll see if it continues to tick all the boxes then.