Alfa Romeo Stelvio

[Julian-]

Price: From £30,000 (est)
On sale: Autumn

Alfa Romeo is on a high at the moment, after the enthusiastic response to its Giulia saloon. Now the Italian brand is set to boost its order books even further with its first SUV: the Stelvio.

The Stelvio actually shares many chassis and engine parts with the Giulia – along with some of the saloon’s styling. The headlight treatment and front grille are very similar, giving the SUV an imposing look.

• New Alfa Romeo Stelvio review

Under the skin, you’ll be able to pick from two engines at launch – a 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol with 276bhp, or Alfa’s 2.2-litre turbodiesel with 207bhp and a useful 470Nm of torque. Both cars are four-wheel drive, and they get an eight-speed automatic gearbox as standard; a manual isn’t offered, even as an option.

Further down the line, Alfa will wheel out a 503bhp flagship version of the car, based on the same Ferrari-derived twin-turbo V6 that we’ve already sampled in the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Inside, it’s very much like sitting in a slightly elevated Giulia; the dashboard layout and design are basically identical. But that’s no bad thing, because this high-quality finish keeps it upmarket.