Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio AWD vs Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8

After a decades-long hiatus, Alfa Romeo is back in America. It’s been back for a little over three years, and has been slowly rolling out models, starting with the 8C supercar, the 4C hardcore performance coupe, and eventually more practical models like the Giulia sedan and now, the Stelvio SUV.

For many decades Alfa Romeo’s focus has been on coupes, sports cars, sedans, and generally sporty cars. But in 2017, if you’re not building an SUV, you’re not keeping up. All of Alfa’s competitors build SUVs, so the Italian brand had to follow suit. The result is the Stelvio, a sharp-looking midsize SUV that delivers performance, but also has some serious quirks that live up to Alfa Romeo’s heritage.

Given current market trends, the 2018 Stelvio was inevitable, even for a purist performance brand like Alfa Romeo. But it offers hope, as Porsche has proven with the Cayenne and Macan that an automaker can offer a practical SUV and still retain a level of performance that will live up to its company name and heritage.