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Everyone’s making SUVs, these days. And some people will tell you that it’s a shame, because it means fewer sports cars and sporting saloons. But there’s a reason that manufacturers are building SUVs – it’s because people are buying them. And if you’re going to have a sporty SUV, then you may as well have one that oozes Italian style and brio.

Step forward, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Quadrifoglio. Wrapped in that curvaceous Alfa bodywork is the same chassis and engine that you’ll find in the Giulia Quadrifoglio saloon. That means 510hp from a 2.9-litre Ferrari-developed twin-turbo V6 coupled to an eight-speed ZF automatic. Although there’s also four-wheel drive that features side-to-side torque vectoring and can send up to 50 per cent of the power to the front wheels.

And the driving experience is as stunning as it is in the Giulia. It feels nimble and eager, with super-quick steering, yet it always feels reassuringly stable, even at high motorway speeds. And those high speeds are easily achieved: you’ll reach 62mph from a standstill in 3.8 seconds, on your way to a top speed of 176mph.