The first Alfa Romeo SUV has been launched as loudly, as their first rear-wheel drive car in a long time;
the Giulia. That isn't a coincidence,
because the Giulia and the Stelvio, as it's called,
are very similar underneath. They're on the same platform,
and you could almost say the Stelvio is a heightened Giulia.
The Giulia was a special car. Not only was it the first rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo in a very long time,
but it was extremely dynamic as well, also something we hadn't seen in a long time in an Alfa Romeo.
Alfa quickly said they wanted to achieve the same with the Stelvio.
It's been marketed as extremely dynamic, so it should be fun to find a rival to compare it with.
In this segment, there's another brand which has the samen dynamic pretensions.
Jaguar. They released their first SUV not too long ago as well;
the F-Pace. We've got the ingredients for a comparison, don't you think?
We don't have to look very hard to find two comparable models.
Both cars have a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine aboard.
The Stelvio is fitted with the biggest engine available; 280 horsepower and four-wheel drive.
Jaguar has introduced a brand new 4-cylinder with two turbo's. It doesn't have as much power as the Stelvio though,
it only produces 250 horsepower.
Before I got in, I already thought this would be a very interesting test.
Some time ago, I compared the Alfa Giulia and the Jaguar XE in a test as well.
You would say they're in the same segment with these SUV's. The same platform,
so will it be the same result?
Let's start with the Stelvio, and boy does it look a lot like the Giulia.
The dashboard almost is a direct copy. The ride is also very similar;
Alfa Romeo wanted to make this one of the most dynamic cars in the segment, and that's exactly what they've done.
I honestly think there's only one car which might be more dynamic than this, and that would be the Porsche Macan.
But if you look at that price, we can also conclude that's a whole different ballpark.
The car is quite light. It only weighs 1660 kg,
and that isn't a lot for a SUV, just look at other SUV's.
They've kept the suspension very sturdy, the steering is very direct, just like in the Giulia,
almost like a Ferrari-trait. It does make the car a little nervous,
but when it comes to steering... Short hairpins, sharp corners,
it doesn't push through like you'd expect from a car this size, but you keep control.
If you combine that with the four-wheel drive, which prevents sliding through,
and if you combine that with the balance of the car; a weight distribution of 50/50...
It's really clever how they've done this, because it translates itself to a truly dynamic car.
If we take a look at the drivetrain, we've got a 2.0-litre turbo under the hood,
producing 280 horsepower. That's a lot,
especially because we've got four-wheel drive and a gearbox with short gears.
The result is a 0-100 time of less than six seconds.
That's very quick, especially for a SUV.
You don't notice that immediately however, only when you use launch control to get to 100 km/h.
Why? The red area already starts at 5500 RPM,
that's quite early, but the peak power is also above the 5000 RPM.
So you've got a very short power band. Because you've got short gears,
you can stay there, but if you're driving along easily,
you won't get there. You really have to keep the revs up if you want enjoy full power.
It kind of reminds me of the engine in the A45 AMG. Also a 2.0-litre turbo with a lot of power,
but also with a very short powerband, which makes you search for that moment when you get full power.
All of that has a downside to it. The chassis is very hard,
even in Normal-mode. In Dynamic-mode, they become even stiffer,
so the car starts to bounce about. Also, the steering is hyperdirect,
just like the throttle response. The automatic gearbox is very sharp as well,
it's very good indeed. Those flappy-paddles, amazing.
But... The feeling of ease you crave for in a SUV,
that's something the Stelvio doesn't have.
Even a Porsche Cayenne or a Porsche Macan... Those have a little serenity left...
For example; your muscles ache after a workout session, you get into your SUV,
a lot of power, a lot of torque, relax, a clear view...
But the Stelvio? The Stelvio gets all excited when you get in.
Looking for comfort and ease? You won't find it in here.
Another general Alfa-issue; I'm feeling the same about this interior as I felt about the Giulia.
It all looks good, but it doesn't feel premium.
It's... The materials just aren't good enough for that premium-feel.
Also, the multimedia system doesn't offer some options, which you can expect in other cars in this segment.
Even when it comes to safety features like autonomous driving, Alfa isn't on par with the competition.
And it's not a cheap car.
Let's jump into the Jaguar F-Pace then, because this does have that premium feel.
You get in the car and immediately the materials look better.
The design is more impressive, it's got a beautiful multimedia system,
and even though Jaguar isn't on par with the German manufacturers...
when it comes to the safety systems and the technical features, they absolutely lead the Stelvio.
Just look at that multimedia system, those beautiful dials in front of you.
The Alfa just isn't up there.
Another interesting thing; numbers don't mean everything.
This Jaguar has less power; 250 horsepower. It's got less torques as well; 365 Nm vs. 400 in the Alfa.
So you would say the Alfa is quicker, because it's lighter and more powerful.
So combined, it makes for a more agile car.
But that isn't exactly the case when it comes to speed.
So what's the difference? The maximum torques of the Alfa are available at 2250 RPM,
those 400 Nm. The 365 Nm of this one however,
are already available at 1200 RPM. That means everything you're stationary and you push the throttle,
you get maximum torque and the car propels forward. You won't have to search for the power.
If we conduct a 0-100 sprint between the two, the Alfa will be faster,
but in the daily commute, this F-Pace will feel quicker because you always have access to the maximum torque.
Of course, if you're really racing,
or if you dive into a corner, you'll notice the F-Pace is about 100 kg heavier.
So you won't notice it in the dynamics.
The F-Pace is a dynamic car though, but it isn't as direct in tight corners as it is in longer curves.
The nose will keep pushing.
The funny thing is, if you take wider corners,
the cadance is better. The rear starts moving in here,
in the Alfa? Maybe if the Q arrives, it'll go through it because of the power,
but other than that? It tends to understeer.
In the F-Pace, the rear pushes the nose around the corner.
The Alfa is a little more excited to tackle sharp corners, but the Jaguar has a more subtle balance dynamically speaking.
The Alfa goes for the quick satisfaction, whilst the Jaguar brings more ease to the party, combined with the dynamics.
You do notice how much Alfa has focussed on the directness...
and that excited personality of the car. I mean, we've got a biturbo 2.0-litre in here,
but it doesn't even come close when it comes to throttle response.
Take the 8-speed ZF automatic gearbox in here for example. It just isn't as good as the same ZF-boxes in other cars.
Maserati, BMW, even Audi. They refined the software of the gearbox in a way,
it always reacts the way you want it to react. But in here, it's just a tad too slow compared to other brands.
You even notice that in the Jaguar F-Type, it's all about the size of the manufacturers and the amount of time they put in testing their cars.
Surprisingly enough, the same points arose when I tested the Giulia and the Jaguar XE.
The XE offered more of a comfortable sort of dynamics, but the Giulia was a lot more randy.
I think that's good, especially in a saloon car, but that's a matter of taste really.
But where I said the Giulia and the Stelvio felt similar, I mean they were launched shortly after each other,
I don't feel the same way with the XE and the F-Pace. I feel like the F-Pace is positioned higher than the XE.
There's a reason why there's going to be an E-Pace below the F-Pace, there's still room there.
I don't think Jaguar make another car which'll be positioned below the XE.
That's not part of the plan.
That's why it feels like the F-Pace has been positioned higher than the Stelvio.
When it comes to luxury, to the feeling you get, to refinement...
The F-Pace is also larger in relation to the XE. The XE and Giulia are pretty similar, maybe the Giulia is a tad bigger.
In this case, the F-Pace is a lot bigger. It fits 100 litres, or even 150 litres more than the Stelvio.
It's a bigger and bulkier car, and that's something you feel in the F-Pace's build quality.
And that could mean trouble for the Stelvio, just like it did for the Giulia.
It's a enormously dynamic car, especially in the D-segment.
The Giulia is the best sporty saloon car available, if we don't count the BMW's M3 and such.
But that premium feel of those M3's, A4's or even Lexuses IS, that wasn't present in the Giulia.
The same goes for the Stelvio.
It's a car which is just above the normal D-segment, even when it comes to refinement.
But 'real' premium, like the rest? It doesn't feel like that.
In this case, with these cars, you can see that in the price.
This particular Stelvio is fitted with the biggest engine, 280 horsepower, four-wheel drive,
and it's a First Edition so it's fully loaded. You only have to pay for the color.
This Stelvio, with everything on it, will set you back exactly €70.000.
That's a lot of money. The F-Pace like we've got here,
a R-Sport, 2.5t, also available from €65.000 - €67.000,
but as I drive it now? €92.000.
€92.000... That's €20.000 more than the Alfa.
Sure, it's got lots of luxurious options which aren't even available on the Alfa; special leather, a winter-package, bigger wheels, sunroof...
So... I mean the First Edition will disappear in time,
so for the same package you'll pay about €5.000 extra, so you'll be at €75.000.
Jaguar might come down with their price, but you'll still end up with a price gap of €15.000.
I have to say, you can see where that money goes,
because the F-Pace just is positioned higher. But to say that the F-Pace is worth €20.000 more?
Nope.