Ciao, Bella: Road Tripping with the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Tributo Italiano

Buying an Italian car isn’t always the most logical of decisions, not when more rational options exist just a pencil's width away. The old Top Gear crowd always used to say that every gearhead needs to own at least one Alfa in their lifetime and, after a week with the Stelvio, I started to get what they were on about - even if this model has one foot in the grave and one on a banana peel.

See? Not exactly rational.

Earlier this year, Alfa signaled it is in the throes of winding down production of the Stelvio crossover and its Giulia sedan cousin, gradually sending the variants out to pasture over the next few months. In fact, the next-gen Stelvio, set to be built on the STLA Large platform should appear before the end of June. Rumors suggest it’ll be available either as a hybrid or full electric vehicle, though specifics are scarce. Hewing to a recent pattern at Stellantis, its first deliveries may get pushed back to 2026 after initially being promised this calendar year.

The present Stelvio has been around for nearly a decade, though the thing still has appealing style - particularly in the paint shade of Verde Montreal which captured compliments as well as it captured the Nevada sunshine. It’s one of three colors in which the Tributo Italiano trim is offered, the others being Rosso Alfa and Bianco Alfa to complete a trifecta salute to the Italian flag. It’s a great-looking car, complete with a take on the trademark phone-dial wheels and a set of black exhaust tips the size of sewer cannons poking out the rear fascia like twin middle fingers to the EV sitting behind it in traffic.

Under the hood is a turbocharged 2.0L four-banger making 280 rampant Italian horsepower and a meaty 306 lb-ft of torque, all lashed to an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. That gearbox can be commanded by a set of slim blade-like paddles mounted to the steering column (not the wheel), feeling for all the world like precision driving instruments and helping the Stelvio punch far outside its weight class. The transmission they control is nothing special but this is precisely the type of theatre that makes this Italian more soulful than its competitors.

Cruising the winding desert roads through a national park outside of Vegas reminded us that Italians like to drive. One doesn’t generally expect an AWD crossover to have communicative steering characteristics and a suspension which effectively manages body roll. Brembo-branded four-piston front calipers are more than sufficient for any street duty and will serve primarily as a bragging point for most customers, anyway. Curb weight is approximately 4,000 pounds.

Our complaints about Alfa infotainment remain intact, with response times best measured with a calendar. At least the graphics are entertaining. Fumbling for the steering wheel mounted start/stop button never did become second nature, though unique touches like a driver-side dashboard cubby lined with mouse fur reminded us the Stelvio cuts its own path. The Harman Kardon stereo system was fine but certainly not comparable to the banging units at Acura.

Despite its size, the Stelvio doesn’t offer huge accommodations aft of the front row: rear seat legroom is at a serious premium and there’s only 18.5 cubic feet of space in the cargo area.

Price is an issue. Given the Stelvio hasn’t changed much in the last decade other than a skiff of revision a couple of years ago, an asking price of $56,690 represents a hard sell against others in this segment with arguably better powertrains and far more modern interiors. The tremendous Verde Montreal paint is a shocking $2,200 option though all other features are standard. A quick squiz around the internet show numerous Stelvio models remaining on dealer lots, even this special edition in this color, so chances are there’s some cash on the hood.

Which is why anyone with a gearbox for a heart and a gas tank for a brain who may be on the fence about picking up one of the last Stelvio models from this era should sbrigati. Sure, more rational options exist - logic dictates the recommendation of an X3 or Q5 - but few have the style or soul of this Italian.

For all the faults, this author will be sad when it's gone.

[Images: The Author]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by subscribing to our newsletter.