Crossovers and SUVs are derided for their cookie-cutter designs, among other things, but the 2022 Alfa Romeo Stelvio is one of the best-looking examples of the breed. Along with a body that most would call beautiful, Alfa Romeo imbues its compact luxury crossover with a terrific chassis that's more communicative than an Italian lover. Under the hood is a gutsy turbo-four that pairs with a well-calibrated transmission and rear- or all-wheel drive. While the Stelvio's interior has some tasteful touches, such as attractive wood trim options and lengthy column-mounted paddle shifters, it's also marred by some chintzy bits as well as a small back seat and cargo area. Sure, the BMW X3 and Porsche Macan are more well-rounded alternatives, but the 2022 Stelvio strikes a chord with people who are passionate about style and driving verve.

 

For 2022, Alfa Romeo renames the Ti Sport trim the Veloce and adds a host of newly standard features. The latter includes a suite of driver assists such as adaptive cruise control, automatic high-beams, blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and front and rear parking sensors. Also now standard are an auto-dimming rearview mirror, built-in navigation, front and rear heated seats, and wireless phone charging. Every model now also has dark exterior trim on the grille, exhaust tips, roof rails, and skid plate. The Ti trim levels adds a gray body kit; inside it adds an aluminum footrest and sport pedals. The Sprint and Veloce trim come with aluminum paddle shifters mounted on the steering column.

We think the Stelvio Ti is the one to get. It comes standard with all-wheel drive, which is a $2000 option on the entry-level Sprint trim. The Ti adds desirable standard features that include larger 19-inch wheels, built-in navigation, a dual-pane sunroof, and more available options. Most paint colors cost extra and there's a variety of wheel designs. We'd stick with the stock rims and opt for the Performance package (aluminum paddle shifters, limited-slip differential), and the Premium package (14-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo, leather dashboard and upper doors).