Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio 2018 UK first drive

This might be the first-ever SUV to wear the coveted cloverleaf badge, but the Stelvio Quadrifoglio means something even greater for Alfa Romeo.

It’s the second stage of a momentous return to form, the exclamation point to follow the red-blooded Giulia Quadrifoglio saloon that reaffirmed the brand’s ability to produce true performance cars.

Both models share the same 2.9-litre, twin-turbocharged V6 engine and eight-speed automatic gearbox, but the Stelvio gets bespoke calibrations and ratios. In the saloon, all 503bhp was sent to the rear wheels, but here Alfa’s Q4 four-wheel drive system adds a second driven axle.

Up to half of the total 443lb of torque can be sent to the front - but only when the rear tyres begin to slip. Until that point, the car is entirely rear driven, with the rear differential’s pair of clutch packs splitting torque between the rear wheels. The combination unlocks truly eye-widening levels of performance.

We’ve experienced its potent combination of Ferrari-derived powerplant and class-leading handling twice before: first on the glass-smooth roads of Jebel Jais in the United Arab Emirates, and most recently on home soil, albeit as a left-hooker. This, then, is our first chance to try a right-hand-drive model on UK roads.

The Stelvio is every bit as aggressive and explosively powerful as its extended wheel arches, angular bonnet vents and enlarged quad tailpipes suggest, with an equally intoxicating soundtrack to match.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio sounds mean enough in Dynamic mode, but the gloves come off completely when Alfa’s DNA drive modes are dialled up to Race: upshifts sound like gunshots and the engine truly roars, unlike many turbo units.

The performance figures are equally dramatic, dispatching the 0-62mph sprint in 3.8sec. Acceleration is almost violent at times, with a surprising lack of turbo lag that means the power is almost always available.

It’s not in its straight-line performance where the Quadrifoglio truly impresses, though. It has the poise and body control of a car that sits much closer to the ground, staying remarkably composed in bends and over the bumpy Scottish B-roads of our test route, so you can carry significant speed just about everywhere.

The steering is light and, with a short ratio, reacts immediately and precisely to your inputs. This matters most in Race mode, which disables all traction aids and can sometimes call for some opposite lock when the car reminds you of its rear-wheel bias.