Alfa Romeo joins the SUV fun with stunning Stelvio

And with the show car at least it is doing it with true Alfa spirit, unveiling the Stelvio in top Quadrifoglio form with an astounding 510bhp – far more than any rival including even the hottest Porsche Macan Turbo (440bhp). Backing up the power is the Alfa promise that the Stelvio comes with perfect 50-50 weight distribution and the sharpest dynamics in the class.

The Stelvio’s performance – the Giulia with the same engine does 0-62mph in just 3.9 seconds – and the car’s handsome, obviously Giulia inspired looks may prove the showstopper, but it will be the others in an expected large range that Alfa believes will put it on the road to SUV riches, in the manner that SUV sales have transformed the bottom line of all other premium manufacturers in the past 10 years. The SUV saviour of Alfa Romeo? Undoubtedly.

Mechanicals, including the Q4 four-wheel-drive system, engine line-up and model range will all mirror the Giulia – on which the Stelvio is based. Two-litre petrol and 2.2 diesel versions are on the cards along with familiar Alfa spec levels culminating in the hottest Quadrifoglio, tipped to cost from about £65,000.

The engine in the hot one is the 2.9-litre biturbo V6 which is only now arriving in the UK under the bonnet of the Giulia saloon. It puts out 510bhp with 443lb ft (600Nm) of torque and is mated to an eight-speed paddleshift automatic. Alfa’s rear-axle biased all-wheel drive is standard; lesser models in the range may be rear-drive only as Alfa juggles specs to get an entry point down to around the £40,000 mark. The first UK owners should have their cars a year from now.

With its unmistakable Alfa design character and far from excessive girth – it’s longer but the same height as the Range Rover Evoque – the Stelvio seems set to bring a welcome Alfa sparkle to the SUV landscape.

It’s a good name, too, we reckon. The Stelvio Pass will be known to car enthusiasts as the most demanding driving road in the Alps, descending 9,000ft in a succession of switchbacks and it was even used for motorsport...