£30k Alfa Stelvio Quadrifoglio | Spotted

So 2025 is the year that we see the electric Alfa Romeo Stelvio. There’s no going back now – the prototypes are in development, a glitzy reveal will be in planning, and the Alfa owners club might already be in mourning. While there are soundbites and vague commitments about a Quadrifoglio keeping the ‘roar’ of combustion, nothing has been confirmed yet. Certainly nothing as set in stone as prototype testing. So let’s wait and see on that. 

If nothing else, we should remain hopeful, because the original Stelvio proved Alfa Romeo can most certainly pull rabbits from hats (or whatever the Italian expression should be). From nowhere, Alfa made a really decent mid-sized SUV, then a truly fantastic performance version; there’s no reason – short of the aforementioned ‘roar’ – why it couldn’t pull off the same feat with an electrified follow-up. It might even be argued that the Stelvio was more of an achievement than the Giulia with which it shared the Giorgio platform. There was expectation and heritage to live up to with the four-door, resurrecting a name and a layout that had created some Alfa icons; there wasn’t an old 4×4 to evoke, but there were many SUVs to rival, and the Stelvio was more than up to the task. Looked pretty smart with it, too.

Then, of course, there was the Quadrifoglio. The stunning saloon meant there was some hope for the SUV that arrived a couple of years later, but even with that prelude the Stelvio surpassed expectations. Like the Giulia, its low kerbweight (against rivals) and theatrical powertrain injected some much-needed fizz into the segment. Inevitably the higher-riding car didn’t ride with quite the same aplomb or corner so eagerly, but it was a mighty fine effort. And it was all-wheel drive – so it was rapid in some scenarios where the saloon was not. 

Plus, crucially, in all its forms the Stelvio was something a little bit different. That appeals as much secondhand as it would have new; that bit rarer, that bit more interesting. And now from £30,000, or less than a third of the cost of a new one – with just 10 horsepower fewer. Of course, that’ll mean taking a car with the original, iffy interior, and with a few miles, but MG4 money for an unexpected Alfa hero surely warrants further investigation. 

This one has a little more than 60k on it now, though looks in fine fettle save for some shiny interior bits. It passed its MOT without advisory last month, there’s said to be a full history, and there appears to be at least a couple of Michelin tyres on the teledial wheels. And imagine how much more exciting this spec could look with those wheels refurbed in light gold and with red calipers. 

That’s the thing with both Giulias and Stelvios – they’re both cars you could see yourself in one day. Without wishing to fall into cliche, the Quadrifoglios were proper enthusiast machines; seriously fast, a bit left field, not quite perfect but hugely capable – and entertaining with it. Let’s hope those attributes can endure into whatever comes next. In the meantime, here’s to the V6s becoming even more affordable. 

Engine: 2,891cc, V6 twin-turbo
Transmission: 8-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 510@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 443@2,500rpm
MPG: 31
CO2: 210g/km
Year registered: 2019
Recorded mileage: 62,000
Price new: £69,500
Yours for: £29,989