• P11D Value (as tested): £45,720
• BIK band 2018/19: 33%
• SUV
• 2.1-litre Diesel Turbo 190hp/450Nm
• Performance: 7.6secs/130mph
• Economy (On test) 40.1mpg
• CO2: 147g/km

What is it?

It’s an Alfa Romeo SUV ….. should there be such a beast? Why not, everyone else is doing it: Porsche, Maserati, Jaguar, Bentley etc.

Just waiting for the Ferrari off roader now.

The model we tried was the Stelvio Nero Edizione, which means black edition and fits into the line up between the entry level Super and the pricier Speciale.

It shares lots of bits and pieces with the Giulia saloon and this version comes with a lot of features including Alfa Connected Services, alarm system with bonnet intrusion protection and sporty aluminium pedals.

There’s also the increasingly common suite of safety and driver assistance equipment – lane departure warning, cruise control, front and rear parking sensors, autonomous emergency brake etc.

Starting price on the road is £41,520 and our came with £4,470 worth of additional goodies including Grey paintwork (£770), a cold weather pack (£550) and Electrically adjustable front seats (£750).

Also among the extras were rear view camera, steering wheel paddles, electrically folding door mirrors and black brake calipers at £450.

Why would you want an Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

• The Alfa Romeo name
• Looks – probably one of the best looking SUVs on the road and the Nero Edizionne includes the Speciale’s xenon lights, tinted windows and LED foglamps. There are also 20-inch alloys, darkened exhausts, black grille, skidplates, roof bars, badges, mirror caps and window surrounds.
• Handling, one of the best around and up there with the likes of the Porsche Macan. The ride is also pretty good
• There are some good finance deals on this particular model
• Plenty of space inside and genuinely a lot of fun to drive

What might put you off an Alfa Romeo Stelvio?

• While comfortable and smart inside, you might be looking for a more quality feel for the touchy interiors fittings, particularly at this price.
• Getting to grips with the auto shift. Sensibly you need to push a button when shifting between drive and reverse, and another one to put the car into park. Annoyingly, putting it into park also applies the hand brake so you then find have to find lots of buttons to get you going again if you hit park by mistake. Which I did ……a lot.
• It doesn’t sound like an Alfa. One of the brand’s endearing traits has been the howl of a V6 or the snap, crackle and pop of a four-pot Boxer. But this is a diesel.

What else should you know?

• There are two engines to choose from. The diesel is around £1,000 more than the 197bhp 2.0 turbo petrol, but is far more economical and still with plenty of poke for overtaking.
• It has an eight-speed ZF gearbox.
• All versions feature double wishbones at the front and multi-link at the rear
• Q4 four-wheel-drive is standard, with a rear-bias to the power distribution: 100% in normal driving conditions and up to 50% pushed to the front when there’s a need
• The car gets its name from a mountain pass in Italy

Verdict on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio

In short – loved it.

Not only good looking, but a pleasure to drive as a motorway cruiser or around the country lanes – smooth and comfortable.

Throttle is responsive while that eight-speed ZF auto transmission shifts effortlessly around delivering the right revs when you need them.

You can also have a bit more fun using the aluminium paddle shifters – that gives a bit more of an Alfa feel to the car.

Based largely on the Giulia and with a lot of aluminium in the body, the Stelvio is light on its feet with body roll kept well in check giving you the confidence to push on when and if the opportunity arises.

Inside there is plenty of head and legroom – certainly competitive in the class both front and rear while the boot has a useful and very usable 525 litres and an electrically operated tailgate.

Seating is comfortable enough, certainly didn’t feel any aches, pains or general stiffening up over the course of a 700-mile test drive.

While there is plenty of tech on board, it’s not overloaded and relatively intuitive to operate – apart from that gear selector, but then that’s probably just me.

Overall this is a stand out SUV. It is one of the best looking of the genre and manages to span the divide between large-ish crossover and conventional car in terms of performance and comfort.