Farming Monthly National June 2018 | Page 54

| Motors bias, with up to 50% of the power being distributed to the front wheels when required. This worked very well inpractice when driving down muddy tracks and wet tarmac stretches. Safety Safety-wise, the Stelvio managed a full five-star rating when it was tested by Euro NCAP. Final thoughts Alfa Romeo seem to be back and the Stelvio is a very well built SUV. Offering a more stylish and sportier alternative to rival models from the likes of BMW, Mercedes and Audi, this tempting mix in the form of Stelvio should appeal to those who might want to dare to be different. Driving to the next agricultural event shouldn’t be this much fun...and seeing the admiring glances of the people who ‘know’ would be priceless. The others who ‘don’t know’ will stick to their usual rides...and their in-ground Alfa predjudices. Remember when the likes of Skoda and Kia were frowned upon? It’s too soon, perhaps, to say with confidence that the Stelvio will be last thing in reliability. A longer term test would be very useful to establish this. But for now, things are looking pretty good for this new Alfa Romeo SUV and it was a sad day when it had to be returned. I have to say that I was somewhat won over and enjoyed this drive more than I realised. This particular model has an OTR price of £45,405 (£46,950 with the options fitted) Andrew Poulton, Editor 54 | Farming Monthly | June 2018 www.farmingmonthly.co.uk