2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce Review

With possibly the most Italian name in all of existence, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce promises an elegant, passionate, Bellissimo driving experience, *chefs kiss*. So, does it deliver on this promise? Let’s take a look at some of the key features of this luxury mid-size SUV and see how it stacks up against some of the less Italiano options. I’ll be going through all of the technology, luxury, and safety features in the interior, as well as seeing how this thing goes in a straight line, 0-100km/h!

How much does the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce cost?

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is available in two very different models, the Veloce comes in at $82,950 (excl. on-roads), while the Quadrifoglio model is a super SUV with a fire-breathing bi-turbo 6-cylinder engine and comes in at a whopping $160,700 (excl. on-roads).

While in overseas markets the Veloce is actually a mid-spec model, here in Australia it is our entry-spec. Additionally, there is an optional Lusso pack that adds a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon sound system, panoramic sunroof, leather upholstery, and a space-saver spare tyre.

We also get a metallic paint colour worth $1700 and our test car was specced with the stunning Misano Blue.

UPDATE: Alfa Romeo have just announced that the new Stelvio and Giulia models will be available in dealerships this month (May 2023). Find our more here.

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What do we think of the exterior looks of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

This car is simply gorgeous from front to back. The front headlights make a nice curvy pattern and are super bright bi-Xenon LEDs, and the front grille has been refined with a black finish. Overall it’s a pretty aggressive-looking car, with some sharp splitters at the front, and beautiful sweeping aerodynamic lines continuing along the entire length of the car.

Unique to the Veloce trim, we get 20-inch alloys with a “5-hole sport” design, and they look phenomenal.  Unfortunately, there is a lack of surround view cameras, with only a single reversing camera visible on the exterior of the car. We do get front and rear parking sensors, as well as a radar system but the lack of surround cameras on a car at this price is a bit of a sore point.

I have to mention that stunning Misano Blue paint, it is an extra $1700 just like the other premium paint options, and definitely one of the nicest looking options available. The rear windows are ultra-tinted for passenger privacy which also contrasts nicely with the 

Coming to the back, which might be one of my favourite angles of the car, we get some hilariously large fake exhaust tips that are perfectly circular. There is also a lack of any spoiler, which in 2023 is unusual for an SUV, however it is quite tasteful. We also have our Q4 badging, which signifies Alfa Romeo’s all-wheel drive.

Keyless entry and go are standard on the Stelvio, though I found the loud beeping when unlocking the doors this way to be a little tiresome.

Overall, this car certainly fits into the category of SUV that is so sleek it could almost be a wagon, and despite this body shape being several years old now, I can hardly complain about the lack of facelifts when the car looks this beautiful.

What’s the interior and connectivity like of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

The interior is where you will notice those extra touches of luxury from the Lusso option pack. Immediately apparent is the amount of soft leather in the cabin, and despite there being some hard plastics, most of the materials inside felt like quality, and the build quality is very solid. Rattles and vibrations pretty much didn’t exist while I drove this model.

Up ahead of the driver is a gorgeous, sporty Alfa Romeo steering wheel, adorned with leather and a “Ferarri” style start/stop button sitting on its left side. Looking past the wheel you will notice analogue gauge clusters with a small digital display in between them, and despite being quite functional and easy to read, analogue instruments are starting to feel a bit aged in a time when most of the competition has moved on to high-resolution digital clusters. We do get a digital instrument cluster which is a nice touch, however.

Disappointingly, not much has changed in recent years in the way of infotainment, with the same 8.8-inch display, thankfully it is now a full-time touchscreen, but the menus feel a little clunky, and compared to most European rivals, this screen size just doesn’t cut the mustard. Apple Carplay and Android Auto are also available in Wired only, and Apple Carplay works well enough. If touchscreen isn’t your style, Alfa Romeo continue to fit their cars with an “iDrive” style knob to scroll through your infotainment menus.

There is also a performance page that gives information about oil temperature, boost pressure, torque, as well as some stats about driving efficiency and fuel consumption.

Climate controls are available both through the infotainment system or through physical buttons below the display, with dual-zone climate control and heated seats up front. 

Speaking of seats, these are some of the nicest in the segment, with full multi-way power adjustment and electric adjustable bolstering, lumbar support, and 3-way memory function. The front seats are heated and have manually adjustable leg support, and they are incredibly comfortable, even on long road trips. The Alfa Romeo badge is also nicely embossed into the headrest.

Storage up front is decent, the glove box is a little small, though the centre console is spacious enough to store some smaller items, and it also houses a USB-C, USB-A and Auxilliary connections, as well as a 12V socket with a cable pass through for conveniently charging your devices. We also get a USB-A port below the climate controls for connecting to Apple Carplay or Android Auto, and a hidden wireless charger next to the handle of the centre armrest. Door bins are also big enough to accommodate a water bottle, and we get a couple of cupholders below the climate controls which can be hidden using a very smoothly closing lid mechanism.

Closing the lid on the cupholders hides the scratchy black plastic they are made of, and reveals some textured aluminium which also continues along the lower portion of the dash, and is a splash of light in a sea of black materials. This car with the black leather interior option is certainly very monotone, though it can be optioned with a red leather interior which looks amazing.

We also get our signature “DNA” drive mode shifter, which actually completely transforms the driving character of the car, but I’ll get into that in the driving section.

In summary, quality and comfort is good, but technology is lagging behind and it is starting to show.

What about the Back seats of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

The back seats are what I would call a “minimum pass”, space is great with plenty of leg and toe room, head room is decent, but I just find the back of this car to be a little boring. The monotone of the interior becomes very apparent back here, though thankfully we have the Lusso optioned panoramic sunroof to brighten us up, and it does a great job of it, extending along most of the length of the roof.

The seats in the back are quite good too, with bolstering somewhat, and the same soft leather materials as up front. Unfortunately leg support could be better, and there is also no seat heating, or a third zone of climate control available. We do get some comical air vents which, when facing eachother look a bit “cross-eyed”.

There is a fold-down armrest with a couple of cupholders, and “Alfa Romeo” embossed onto the black plastic behind it, and we also get some net pockets, as well as door bins that are a bit too small to fit anything of use.

How much can it fit in the boot of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

The 2023 Alfa Romeo has remarkable one of the best cargo covers I’ve used, that doesn’t impede on the luggage capacity at all. That being said, the aperture of the boot is quite tall and narrow.

Boot space is 525L across the range, which does drop to just below 500L with the addition of the space-saver spare wheel. It is quite a function boot too, with 4 tether points, and folding rear seats that extend luggage capacity to 1600L which is very good in class.

We also get an AC adapter in the rear, allowing you to charge household appliances from the boot of your Alfa Romeo, or in more Italian style; plug in an Espresso machine.

What’s under the bonnet of the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce is powered by a 2-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder petrol engine, that produces 206kW of power, 400Nm of torque. This is sent permanently to all 4 wheels via a ZF 8-speed torque converter transmission. The All-wheel drive system is also rear-wheel biased, and can send up to 50% of torque to the front axle. We also get a mechanical limited slip differential at the rear.

The Stelvio drinks 95RON premium unleaded, and has a claimed combined fuel economy of 7L/100km.

How does the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce drive?

This car could be worth the money just on driving alone. Firstly, the handling. With a double wishbone suspension setup at the front, and active suspension at both the rear and front, this car is absolutely planted around corners, and doesn’t waft over bumps and imperfections like some other mid-sized SUVs. It also does this without sacrificing ride comfort, and despite having 20-inch wheels, I didn’t feel any harsh vibrations or impacts inside the cabin, even while driving on a gravel road.

Cornering is incredible with its mechanical limited-slip differential at the rear, and it feels like a proper rear-wheel drive sports car as it pulls out of corners, while the Q4 All-wheel drive system shuffles power between the front and rear axles and the active Torque Vectoring system keeps everything clean and tidy. We do get electric power steering but weight is good and road feedback excellent, making for an engaging, dynamic experience on the back roads.

The chassis feels ridiculously rigid and stable for an SUV, and the turbocharged 4-cylinder engine comes alive in the mid-range revs, effortlessly providing torque whenever you require. It is very easy to forget that this car weighs in excess of 1600kg kerb when you hop behind the wheel.

Alfa Romeo claim a 0-100km/h launch time of 5.7 seconds for the Stelvio Veloce, and I clocked it at 5.86 seconds flat!

All of what I said above is applicable to when you are driving in “D” for “Dynamic” mode. If you toggle the “N” or “A” modes, expect a more sluggish, relaxed ride around town. The transmission takes on a different character, almost lazily shifting between gears and the suspension softens significantly. In “A” for “Advanced Economy” there is a torque limiter placed on the engine which completely neuters the driving of the car.

Driver assistance features work well and without a hitch, and the car will hold itself in lane very well on the freeway and highway, allowing for you to turn up that 14-speaker premium Harmon Kardon sound system and blast tunes will chilling out in your luxury-sports Italian SUV. Very nice.

I’d have to say the driving character of the car is its main selling point, and if Alfa Romeo can give a bit of a refresher to the technology, connectivity and infotainment of the car, I can really see this giving its German rivals a run for their money.

Is the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce Safe?

The Alfa Romeo Stelvo range achieved a 5-star ANCAP safety rating in 2018 with a score of 97% for adult occupant protection.

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It comes with the following safety features:

• Autonomous Emergency Braking
• Blind-spot monitoring
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Keep Assist
• Front Collision Warning
• Reversing Camera
• Pedestrian Detection
• Adaptive Cruise Control
• Dual front, head and side airbags

How much can the 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce tow?

The 2023 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce has a 2000kg braked towing capacity.

How much does the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce cost to service?

The Alfa Romeo Stelvio is covered by a three-year, 150,000km warranty.

Capped price servicing is 5 years, with intervals of 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first. The interval costs are as follows:

• 12 months/15,000km: $345
• 24 months/30,000km: $645
• 36 months/45,000km: $465
• 48 months/60,000km: $1065
• 60 months/75,000km: $345

Final thoughts - should you buy a Alfa Romeo Stelvio Veloce?

If you are after an amazing driving experience for under $100k in a Mid-sized SUV package, while still getting sophisticated and elegant looks, I can’t really recommend this car enough. That being said, there are a few key areas that are lagging behind the rest of the competition, and will need to be addressed in coming years. Practically, the car is excelling with good storage in the cabin and boot, and spaciousness is good for back seat passengers. If you have a small family and fit the aforementioned category, I’d definitely recommend shortlisting the Alfa Romeo Stelvio and at least taking one for a test drive.