Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce: The Luxury of Athleticism
Ah, the luxury of an athletic car: effortless driving, beauty from every angle, it makes you look good, too. That's the mission behind the newest edition of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, the sporty Veloce.
Scotty Reiss
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Evolution is the true mark of luxury.
Revolution is forceful, sometimes brutal. It can be refreshing, but it can also be jarring. Luxury demands comfort and innovation, more evolution than revolution. That’s the story in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio, and for 2023, the Veloce edition. Subtle changes enhance the original design and appeal, so while it’s instantly recognizable, it continues to become more modern in function and feel.
Modern, in the case of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio, adds more of what this car is about to the Veloce version of this luxury SUV, priced from $53K, making it sportier, more capable and more performance focused without detracting from its elegant, minimalist design.
The view from the driver’s seat. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Veloce: Fun to Say, More Fun to Drive
Learn to wrap your mouth around it: Ve-LOCH-ay. Veloce is Italian for ‘fast’ and it takes on a sportier feel with a sport-tuned suspension, Brembo brakes, larger 20” wheels and a throaty sport exhaust, though it carries the same 4 cylinder turbo engine as all other Stelvio models, producing 280 HP (the Quadrafoglio, however, produces 505 HP and carries a much steeper $88K price tag).
It also has all the good stuff standard: All wheel drive, DNA drive modes, a panoramic sunroof, leather seats, voice controlled multimedia system, a wireless charge pad Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, all in an elegant, minimalist design.
9 Reasons You Should Consider the Alfa Romeo Stelvio for Your Next SUV
The cargo area in the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is large and open. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Who This Car is For
- First time luxury car buyers who want a sporty, fun experience
- Singles or couples who occasionally have rear seat passengers
- Fur mamas and papas
- Small families who like to ride in style
- Drivers downsizing from the family SUV and want something sporty and stylish
- Drivers who love a great drive experience but don’t need an overly powerful car
- Buyers who want sporty luxury but need an SUV
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The wide panoramic sunroof is a standard feature in the Veloce. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What You Need to Know
- Seats 5 but more comfortable for 4, and even better for 2
- The Veloce sport edition adds features and capability but not more power than the other models
- The rear seat is comfortable but not overly large
- The cargo area is sizable for an SUV this size
- Available in 7 colors, all of which except white cost $500 or more extra; our Ocra GT Try-Coat is, at $2,500, the most expensive
- There are a lot of nice features standard on all models, including leather seats, navigation, panoramic sunroof and wireless phone charger
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Hanging out with Jill Robbins and her Kia Telluride, me with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio as we compare our week’s test drives. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Ciao, Stelvio!
First introduced in 2017, the Stelvio, named for the Stelvio pass in the Italian Alps where Alfa Romeo tested and tuned this first SUV from the brand, has maintained its original minimalist design.
It’s anchored by the tri-corner grille and sleek headlights, a rounded tail gate and low roofline. It’s modest size belies the comfortable interior space and cargo room, but enhances the drive experience; the Stelvio is perfectly balanced, making it one of the easiest and most agile SUVs to drive.
And yet, it’s roomy and comfortable, especially for front seat passengers. The rear seats are comfortable, if not expansive, and there’s a good amount of cargo space, 18.5 cubic feet behind the rear seats (56.5 with the seats folded down).
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Mirror Mirror – the headlights on the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. Photo: Scotty Reiss
A Sportier Trim Enhances the Drive
The sport trend is one we’ve seen in BMW’s M Sport and Mercedes-Benz’s AMG packages, which are defined by large badges emblazoned throughout the car, differently colored details and distinct features. The sportier edition of the Stelvio is subtle in its details; it’s almost hard to define the Veloce’s sport features because they are so natural.
But even without all the visual cues, Veloce delivers the experience you expect: more response when the accelerator is pressed, to feel pushed back into the bolstered leather seats, a more distinct sound, and those glowing red Brembos that wink at you through the floral-esque wheels.
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The command center is minimalist with just the functions you need. Photo: Scotty Reiss
The Minimalist Alfa Design is Solidly Luxurious
For car buyers who want a simple, clean design that allows the integrity of materials and key details to come through, the Stelvio shines. From the exterior bullet shape of this SUV to the cabin, the details are simple and elegant.
Inside, the command center between the two front seats is neat and uncluttered; the gear selector is flanked by a key cubby and the parking brake. Just forward are cupholders, and behind hit are three key dials: the DNA drive mode selector, the radio volume control and the multimedia selector.
There are climate controls and a USB port on the dash just above the command center, and while you might be inclined to think that you can pop a cord into the USB port and connect your phone to the multimedia system, think again: you’ll need to use the USB ports inside the arm rest for this.
The arm rest is also where you’ll find the wireless phone charge pad, neatly tucked into the space so you can see the top third of your phone while it’s charging. This detail is especially elegant.
On the dashboard you’ll see the multimedia screen, which has Alfa Romeo’s UConnect system, navigation, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as vehicle settings and radio. This is a touchscreen, so you can use the dial to control it or simply touch the function you want. It is tucked neatly into the dash, so when it’s turned off it’s as if there is no screen; another elegant detail that adds to the overall feel of this car.
The Alfa Romeo logo embossed on the headrests. Photo: Scotty Reiss
Ah … Bella Emozione
That is how it feels to drive the Alfa Romeo Stelvio. A beautiful thrill. Partially because this car is just so beautiful; slide into the driver’s seat and you instantly feel refined, set apart from everything else on the road. Press the start button on the steering wheel, put it into gear and head out and you instantly feel the power in your hands. The near perfect balance makes this car feel almost weightless, simple to maneuver, agile in all turns. You are completely in control and feel effortless doing so.
The performance details feel so natural, I really had to look deeply to see what’s different from this model versus the others in the lineup. It’s those additional details that takes it from sublime to non so che, that extra something that makes it perfect.
The rear of the Alfa Romeo Stelvio is sculpted and rounded. Photo: Scotty Reiss
What This Car Costs
- Alfa Romeo Stelivio Sprint entry level edition, with a 4 cylinder turbo engine generating 280 horsepower, DNA mode, smart key, leather seats, heated power front seats, wireless phone charger, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, panoramic sunroof, Uconnect multimedia system with voice activated controls and safety suite including blind spot monitor, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control with full stop, forward collision mitigation, brake assist and stability control, starts at $46,575
- Add all wheel drive to the Sprint edition: $2,000
- Ti Edition adds 19” wheels, hands free power lift gate, interior wood accents, all wheel drive and Ti badging, starts at $52,185
- Veloce edition adds red leather seats, sport details including a rear sport diffuser, 20” wheels and exterior accents black sport gloss, starts at $53,985
- Lusso edition adds bright chrome exterior details, 21” wheels with red brake calipers, two tone leather upholstery, premium Harman Kardon sound system, this is a limited edition and starts at $56085
- Estrema edition adds carbon fiber appearance details, leather panels with red stitching, and an upgraded Harman Kardon sound system, starts at $59,825
- Quadrifoglio edition with a V6 twin turbo engine generating 505 horsepower, enhanced driver assist system including traffic jam assisst, carbon fiber hood, race mode, racing seats, and carbon fiber steering wheel, starts at $88,175
While the Veloce edition adds all the details you might expect on this sporty luxury SUV, the Sprint edition delivers quite a lot at a very approachable price. For about $5,000 more you get all those additional sport details and some enhanced sport driving without a huge price jump to the Quadrifoglio edition. And then, leave a little non so che in your wake.
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Disclosure: Alfa Romeo provided the Stelvio Veloce for this review; all opinions are my own.
The rear seat is open and airy, if a bit on the small side. Photo: Scotty Reiss