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Alfa Romeo is not-so-quietly confident about the dynamic abilities of the Stelvio, its first ever SUV. ‘If you close your eyes in the passenger seat, you’ll ask yourself: “what kind of sports car am I in”?’ says Alfredo Altavilla, Alfa’s COO of Europe, with a twinkle in his eye. Its lack of handling compromise is claimed to be the reason Altavilla and chums cancelled plans for a Giulia sportwagon.

Stelvio as jacked-up, super-sporty five-door is not so far-fetched. For its foundations, the SUV takes the Giulia’s lightweight chassis with its 50:50 weight distribution, and direct steering (its 12.0 ratio is quicker than a Ferrari 458’s). Engineers have mounted the double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension (aluminium-intensive, naturally) just 35mm higher than on the saloon, accommodated larger wheels and tyres, and stretched the tracks for the longer, wider, 190mm taller body.
 



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DRIVEN: Alfa Romeo's Stelvio SUV's First Outing Proves It Is Better Than You Think

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