Text by Tom Appel
2025 Alfa Romeo Stelvio Intensa Edition
Specs
Class: Premium Compact Crossover
Color: Verde Fangio
Country of manufacture: Italy
Seating capacity: 5
Miles driven: 187
Real-world fuel economy: 21.7 mpg
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | B- |
| Power and Performance | A- |
| Fit and Finish | B+ |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | B- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | B- |
| Tall Guy | B+ |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 280-horsepower 2.0-liter |
| Engine Type | Turbocharged 4-cylinder |
| Transmission | 8-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Driving mix: 55% city, 45% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 22/28/24 (city, highway, combined)
Fuel type: Premium
Base price: $56,090 (not including $3250 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Special paint ($2200), Convenience Package ($750), dual-pane sunroof ($1500)
Price as tested: $63,790
Audio-System Brand
Audio-System Quality
Poor Fair Good Very-Good Excellent
Pros and Cons
The great: Sporty character, joy to drive
The good: Comfortable front-row accommodations, classy cabin
The not so good: Limited 2nd-row passenger space, may be too engaging for some drivers
Review
Italian suites, Italian sausage, even Italian art, all known for a level of intensity that transcends their media. If something is Italian, it likely stands out—however gently—from that which it is being compared to.
Italian Flair
This has been true of Italian cars pretty much throughout automotive history. And just to drive home the point, there are carmakers like Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Maserati helping to sculpt the national vehicular identity.
That said, in an automotive world comprised mostly of small and midsize crossover, breaking out from the crowd can be difficult. While this author does not subscribe to the contention that “cars all looking alike today,” he does concede that too many vehicles do look a little too alike.
Perhaps compounding the look-alike truism, is the fact that—no matter how good or bad—many new vehicles, especially small crossovers, also feel reasonably similar to each other. Most ride well, handle well, are reasonably quiet, and ask little of their drivers in normal use.
All Cars Are Good
To some extent, we have reached a consumerist Elysium, in which most cars are good, and few cars stand out. And for most shoppers, this is a good thing. But if you’re thinking at least a little outside of the box, perhaps consider going Italian…
Alfa Romeo Crossovers
Italian carmaker Alfa Romeo offers two small crossovers in America for 2025/2026. One the subcompact Tonale, the other the compact Stelvio. And if you’re looking to stand out from the crowd, we humbly suggest you take a look at the Stelvio.
New to the U.S. for the 2018 model year, the Stelvio has accounted for the bulk of Alfa’s American-market sales since that time. In addition to the aforementioned Tonale, Alfa also offers the Giulia small sedan in the U.S.
Stelvio Trim Levels
For 2025, the Stelvio is offered in the following trim levels:
- Base ($52,245)
- Tributo Special Edition ($59,245)
- Intensa Edition ($59,340)
The Stelvio changes little for 2026, which a significant updated likely for the 2027 model year.
The Tributo and Intensa special editions are very similar in content, differing mostly in trim and décor.
Engines
For 2025 and 2026, all Stelvios are powered by a 280-horsepower 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission. All trim levels also come with standard AWD. An available turbocharged V6 is no longer offered.
Colors
And, as for Italian flair, all three Stelvio trim levels are offered in eye-catching Alfa Rosa ($695), and hyper-extraverted Verde Fangio (as seen here, $2200). Other, more subtle, colors are also available.
Test Car
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheels of a 2025 Stelvio Intensa in Verde Fangio. All told, including destination charge, our test car came to $63,790.
The Bad News
We’ll get the bad news out of the way, this so we can gush over the fun stuff undisturbed. The Stelvio’s back seat is really too small for adult passengers, the cargo area is tight for the class—though still useful—the cabin isn’t especially quiet on the highway, and the infotainment systems is dated and the touchscreen tiny.
All that said, the Stelvio is so much fun to drive, we really don’t mind the aforementioned demerits.
Cabin
Inside, the cabin is nicely finished in mostly classy materials, and the control layout, which is a little busy, is logically arrayed and mostly simple to use. There’s plenty of large-adult space, and decently wide door openings mean getting in and out of this Alfa is pretty easy.
Rear-seat space, as noted above, is limited, but smaller adults and younger offspring will fit just fine.
Power and Perfomance
It’s underway that the Stelvio earns its keep. There’s plenty of ready power from the small turbocharged engine, which, despite delivering generous power from low speeds, also likes to rev. On ramps are especially fun, and the exhaust note—which is always at least audible—rises to an excited roar under full throttle. If you don’t enjoy a sporty exhaust burble, you will likely not enjoy living with this vocal Italian crossover.
The Stelvio’s “dna” drive-mode selector, located just aft of the gear selector, offers up three options: dynamic, natural, and advanced efficiency. We recommend leaving the system in natural mode, unless a burst of energy hits you and you feel the need for quicker, more pronounced gear shifts. As for the efficiency mode, it seems to do little but dull acceleration.
Ride and Handling
The Stelvio comes standard with what over carmakers might call a sport suspension. We applaud the firm and direct steering, and excellent lean control in corners. Ride quality is surprisingly refined given the Alfa’s athletic mission. That said, the Stelvio does not ride smoothly in the conventional sense—the road is meant to be felt—but there is no harshness, just old-school road-surface feedback. We like the way the chassis is tuned.
Value
As for the color, we might opt for the red, this simply because we’d rather not have conversations with passers by every time we park the Stelvio someplace public. But that’s the Italian flair part of the equation. The Stelvio is “always on.” It looks good, drives great, and absolutely stands out in a crowd.
We recommend an extended test drive of the Stelvio, just to be sure you’re open to this much visceral engagement. We loved driving this extroverted Italian crossover, and if you love driving, you might, as well.
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Alfa Romeo Stelvio Intensa Pictures
