Sport Utility Heroes: AMG C63 S wagon v Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q

It’s no secret that, in today’s motoring climate, the SUV rules the road as the popular choice of transport, leaving the once-wonderful wagon resigned to the fringes.

We know what you’re thinking: an enthusiast will always take a wagon over a high-riding SUV, but should they? When you’ve got a couple of kids, or maybe just lots of golf clubs to carry – do you opt for Mercedes-AMG’s mental V8 C63 S wagon or Alfa Romeo’s ballistic Stelvio Q?

The powerhouse AMG comes armed with the 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing 375kW/700Nm, and weighs in at 1750kg. There’s space for three in the second row, with a further 490-litres of luggage space out back.

The Stelvio swings in with the same 375kW output, but less torque at 600Nm, drawn from it’s twin-turbo 2.9-litre V6. Naturally, the high-rider carries a few extra kegs over the low-slung C-Class, weighing in at a portly 1850kg. The boot can swallow a few extra clubs though, measuring in at 525-litres.

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To see which of these two vehicles best blends sport and utility, we lined them up in a range of scenarios to see which is best. First up is a max attack launch control race start, followed by a comfort mode street start, closing out with a 50km/h roll race.

Let’s see what happens, shall we?

Race Start

The Stelvio Q may be carrying an extra 400kgs on its shoulders, but its all-wheel drive underpinnings and well-calibrated launch control saw it leap out of the gates while the muscular Merc – a hard car to launch at the best of times - struggled to find its footing.

“That is an atom bomb” says a bewildered and confident Dan Gardner in the Stelvio, however the chase would soon be on.

Despite a face-melting launch from the Italian heavyweight, the lighter C63 quickly began making up for lost time. A few extra metres of road could have proved all the difference, however the Alfa Stelvio staved off the Merc, crossing the line just a tenth of a second ahead.

With such a close result, a do-over was performed to see if the C63 could make up for those crucial closing metres. Sadly, though, despite posting an improved 0-100km/h and quarter-mile time, the bombastic wagon couldn’t catch the Stelvio SUV.

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Street Start

Returning to the starting line for our conventional street start race means returning the cars to their default comfort driving modes. Intended to replicate the impromptu traffic light lunge, there’s no launch control functions to lean on, just mash the pedal and go.

This scenario played well into the Mercedes-AMG’s hands. With no launch control to rely on, and perhaps a lazier powertrain calibration, the Stelvio’s previous slingshot start became a rather leisurely stroll off the mark.

An emphatic win for the C63 S wagon.

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Roll Race

Cruising out onto the strip at a constant 50km/h, our roll race allows us to see which car reacts quicker and more efficiently when the spur is dug in while on the move.

In this setting, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio’s traction advantage is even further diminished as AMG’s fast wagon is able to easily leverage its power.

Flattening the accelerators as they pass the starting marker sees both cars squat hard under load. The Stelvio gets its nose ahead with a slightly more decisive reaction, and both cars look remarkably even in the early stages.

From there, it’s the big V8 and the lighter car that dominates all the way to the finish. The Stelvio is an impressive performer for a big SUV, but you can't beat physics.

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Results

Or can you? Despite losing out in the street start and roll race, the Alfa Romeo Stelvio Q is actually the quicker of the two over the standing quarter-mile.

A brutally effective launch control system yielded a 0-100km/h best time of 3.9 seconds, ultimately crossing the 400m marker in 12.1-seconds at 185km/h.

The Mercedes-AMG C63 S’ monstrous outputs and rear-drive layout make it a significantly harder car to launch. By day’s end, we bested a 0-100km/h time of 4.1-seconds and clocked the quarter-mile in 12.3-seconds at 194km/h.

It was the savage German wagon that won two of our three events, but perhaps you can call that a win on points for the Alfa Romeo SUV. In truth, and on tarmac, both of these cars are seriously rapid.

But which would you rather take home? Watch all the action up top and let us know in the comments below!