leisurewheels.co.za SEPTEMBER 2019 65
ALFA ROMEO
STELVIO QVHARDWARE
Engine: Twin-turbo V6 petrolDisplacement: 2 891cc
Power: 375kW @ 6 500r/min
Torque: 600Nm @ 2 500r/minTransmission: Eight-speed automatic
4WD system: All-wheel drive
Driving aids: ABS, Dynamic ESC,torque vectoring, lane keep assist,
forward collision warning.
Differential lock: Limited-slip diffTyre size: 255/45 ZR 20 front,
285/40 ZR 20 rearTyre brand: Goodyear
Rim size: 20-inch
Suspension front: Double wishboneSuspension rear: Spring, multi-link
with stabiliser
Brakes front: Ventilated discsBrakes rear: Ventilated discs
SPEEDOMETER CALIBRATION
60km/h: 57km/h
80km/h: 78km/h100km/h: 98km/h
120km/h: 118km/hACCELERATION
0–60km/h: 2.5 seconds0–100km/h: 4.4 seconds
60–120km/h: 3.5 seconds
Quarter mile: 12.7 seconds @182.0km/h
BRAKING
60–0km/h: 2.5 seconds/11.9 metres
120–0km/h: 4.0 seconds/50.1 metresMEASUREMENTS AND CAPACITY
Average fuel consumption:13.49 litres/100km
Fuel tank capacity: 64 litres
Range: 474kmGround clearance, front: 210mm
Ground clearance, rear: 230mm
Weight: 1 930kgOWNERSHIP
Warranty: Three-year/100 000km
Service plan: Six-year/100 000km
Service interval: Determined byonboard computer
Price: R1 699 900is combined with the awesome Giulia chassis.
The result is a brisk and sporty compact SUV.
Thanks to steep import duties, though, the
Q4’s pricing point is a stumbling block in the
local market. At R834 000, you need to be a
diehard Alfa fan to fork out that much cash
for a beautiful, cool but lukewarm
performance SUV.
Similarly, strong resale values have never
been an Alfa hallmark and the current range
of cars suffers from the same handicap.
In 2018, news broke of the Quadrifoglio,
the halo performance model in the Stelvio
range. We followed its journey with interest,
and when leading European motoring
publications declared the new ‘Q’ to be better
than the latest Porsche Macan S – traditionally
a performance benchmark in this category –
we really took notice.
Now the Quadrifoglio has quietly snuck its
way onto the local market. Pricing remains a
challenge but let’s forget about such irrational
details for a moment, and rather look at what
makes the Quadrifoglio so, so special.
It boils down to what lives beneath the
Quadrifoglio’s beautifully sculpted bonnet,
with its striking air intakes: a 2.9-litre Ferrari
V6 twin-turbo petrol engine. The engine is
essentially a Ferrari 488 V8 mill, but with two
cylinders deleted.
The engine produces 375kW of power and
600Nm of torque and it’s linked to a specially
tuned ZF eight-speed automatic gearbox
and an advanced, performance-oriented
all-wheel-drive system that is primarily
rear-wheel drive but can send power to the
front axle when required.Okay, so our first impression of the Q was
hardly great. Leaving the Arnold Chatz
dealership in Weltevreden Park in
Johannesburg in the Alfa, directly after
driving the Jaguar, we were left cold by the
seemingly low-rate and spartan interior, the
muted rumble of the V6 engine (after getting
out of the thunderous Jaguar), and a gearbox
that seemed at odds with the engine in
peak-hour traffic.
This went on for a bit, as we battled
through traffic. Finally, the road opened
up and we selected Race mode. No
electronic interference whatsoever and
sharper responses from the throttle, gear-
box and steering. But more in hope that
the engine would growl, like the Jaguar’s
supercharged V8.
Then we floored it, for the first time letting
the V6 engine spin past 3 000, 4 000, 5 000,
6 000... all the way to 7 000r/min. Bang!
Next gear... 5 000, 6 000, 7 000r/min. Bang...
bang... bang!
Oh. Dear. Lord.
OH. DEAR. LORD!
It was a sound that sent chills down our
spines. Where the Jaguar is loud and
obnoxious and in your face, the Ferrari engine
screams higher, more urgently, more
supercar. It’s a mesmerising howl, straight
from the heart of Maranello.
Later, on a closed circuit, we gave the Alfa
more head... and it became abundantly clear
why the overseas media have raved so much
about the Quadrifoglio.
This is a sports car, which happens to have
the body of a compact SUV. The steering