Although its direct competition includes the Jaguar F-Pace and Porsche Macan, the 2018 Alfa Romeo Stelvio was built to rival the performance of two-door sports cars. That's especially true for the powerful Stelvio Quadrifoglio, which is the new halo model of the Alfa Romeo lineup.

The Italian SUV is the second model after the Giulia to be built on an entirely new platform. Accordingly, performance numbers for the Stelvio mimic the sedan. The standard version features a 2.0-liter turbo-four engine producing 280 hp and 306 lb-ft of torque, and Quadrifoglio models deliver 505 hp and 443 lb-ft of torque from a 2.9-liter twin-turbo V-6. In its most powerful guise, the Stelvio can reach a top speed of 177 mph and hit 60 mph in 3.9 seconds, Alfa Romeo estimates. All-wheel drive is standard across the lineup.

In terms of design, the 2018 Stelvio fits in with the rest of the Alfa Romeo family but maintains its own distinct appearance. The SUV's compact body features rounded edges, short overhangs, and a sloping roofline. Eighteen-inch aluminum wheels are standard on the base model, but 19- and 20-inchers are also available with the 2.0-liter. Open the doors, and you'll find a well-appointed cabin with leather seats, a flat-bottom steering wheel, integrated push-button start, a rearview camera with parking sensors, power liftgate, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone compatibility.

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Just like the Giulia, the Stelvio also offers an upscale Ti model, which brings wood interior accents, a larger 8.8-inch infotainment display, and standard 19-inch wheels. Buyers will be able to choose Sport and Lusso packages on the Stelvio Ti. Later down the line, the Stelvio will be available with 3D navigation that recognizes commands written by fingers on the rotary pad.

The Stelvio Quadrifoglio model receives carbon fiber interior trim, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with accent stitching and performance contours, and performance leather and Alcantara front seats with 12-way adjustable thigh support. This model also offers a unique Race driving mode that activates the over-boost function, opens up the exhaust, turns off ESC, and allows for sharper steering inputs and throttle response. Further improving performance, the Quadrifoglio benefits from a torque vectoring differential and a standard adaptive suspension.

Available safety features on the Stelvio include full-speed forward collision warning, adaptive cruise control with full stop function, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross path detection. A full suite of airbags—including knee airbags and side curtain airbags—are fitted to the Stelvio.

Alfa Romeo has yet to announce when the Stelvio will arrive in the U.S. market. But if the Stelvio is as successful as the F-Pace has been so far for Jaguar, it couldn't arrive soon enough for the struggling brand.