Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio 2017 view

God, where to start with Alfa Romeo? How do you feel about the last three decades of promises, flashes of brilliance and then, ultimately, disappointment? All these false dawns, all these announcements, notes, repeated announcements. It's a car brand with diehard fans who are used to being disappointed like the followers of St Kilda.

The last few years have been especially stressful. Down to the Giulietta (a beautiful thing, but outdated and overpriced) and the MiTo (yes, I know), the crazy 4C has popped up to remind us that Turin can sometimes throw out a sports car, even if it's a bit lively for some.

Add Julie to that. This car had perhaps the longest and strangest path to production. It was supposed to replace the beautiful but underwhelming 159, it started out as a front-wheel drive, went through two (or three?) changes in strategy, and finally everything was decided.

Alfa stole a few Ferrari engineers, wrote a check for five billion dollars, and — in the end — hit it off. The fruit of all this is Julia. The sweetest fruit is Giulia Quadrifoglio.

Alfa Romeo Giulia 2017: Quadrifoglio (qv)
Safety Rating	-
engine's type	2.9L
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	8.2l / 100km
Landing	4 Places
Price from	$73,000

Is there anything interesting about its design? 8/10

The Giulia itself isn't as pretty as the car it replaces, but it has enough Alfa vibes to keep fans happy. However, once the Quadrifoglio treatment has been added, it tightens up, falls for the weeds, and looks properly purposeful.

The 19-inch wheels look like 20s in the arches and the whole car is tightly covered with rubber. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

The 19-inch wheels look like 20s in the arches and the whole car is tightly covered with rubber. Even in white, he looks dramatic and ready to fight.

Inside... well, it's a revelation for an Alpha. While not Audi level, the cockpit is way above what we're used to, with a solid feel, sensible design (without forgetting the enclosed instrumentation). It looks like it was all designed together and devoid of tinsel and nonsensical decor.

The V6 has the same bore and stroke as the Ferrari California's V8, but otherwise we can't comment on the relationship. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

The carbon inserts have caused some controversy over their carbon fiber, but overall they are well made, look great, and feel good to the touch. There's plenty of room for all four passengers (we'll come back to that), nothing feels quirky or flimsy - imagine somewhere between the beautifully crafted interior of a Mazda CX-9 and an Audi A4. Somewhere. The only disappointment is the switch, which feels a bit cheap.

How practical is the interior space? 7/10

Usually Giulia is a five-seat car with a folding rear seat, but there is no such nonsense here. The Quadrifoglio has just four seats, two cupholders in the front, bottle holders (small) in the doors, and a decent-sized cantilever basket.

There are only four places in Quadrifoglio. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

You sit low in the front seats, which have a bunch of adjustments, three-position memory, and they're properly comfortable—tight, supportive, grippy when you need it.

There's plenty of room for backseat passengers too, enough room for my six-foot-one teenager in the back, and there's still room behind the driver's seat of my shorter frame.

The luggage compartment matches all three German rivals at 480 liters per liter.

Does it represent good value for money? What functions does it have? 8/10

The Giulia Quadrifoglio starts at a slightly mind-blowing $143,900, just a few hundred dollars less than the BMW 3 Competition.

You can choose red or pay between $1690 and $4550 for paint. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

You start with a 14-speaker stereo system, 19-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, active bi-xenon headlights, electrically heated front seats, satellite navigation, leather and Alcantara trim , automatic wipers and headlights and a pretty decent safety package.

You can choose red or pay between $1690 and $4550 for paint. The Trofeo White paint job on the test car was impressive—three coats for the last $4550.

On top of all that, you can order different wheel designs ($650), different color calipers ($910), a carbon/alcantara steering wheel ($650), Sparco carbon fiber front seats ($7150), and carbon ceramic brakes. ($13,000). which is actually not bad)

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 9/10

The heart and soul of the Giulia is a 2.9-liter V90 twin-turbocharged 6-degree petrol engine that develops a staggering 379kW and 600Nm of torque. Power is sent to the rear wheels via a superb ZF eight-speed automatic transmission (I wonder how many TCT gearboxes were blown up during development? Or did they even try?) and gets the Giulia from 0 km/h in 100 seconds. It's faster than the M3.9 and has more power and more gears.

Start the car with the big red button on the steering wheel and the engine will start without too much noise. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

The V6 has the same bore and stroke as the Ferrari California's V8, but otherwise we can't comment on the relationship.

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How much fuel does it consume? 7/10

The state testing regime gave the official figure of 8.2 l / 100 km. When you're on your way to your destination, it's extremely unlikely that you'll come close to that number. However, if you are careful, there is no reason why you can keep it below 10.0 l/100 km. But you wouldn't, would you?

What is it like to drive? 9/10

There are so many Ferraris in this car, which is not surprising considering who built it. Roberto Fedeli led the team and was one of Ferrari's most famous engineers. Perhaps he had something to do with the 458th and California ...

Start the car with the big red button on the steering wheel and the engine will fire up without much noise (unless you left it in Dynamic mode). The DNA Drive Mode Control allows you to select suspension and throttle settings between firm and firm, and in A (Advanced Efficiency) mode you can ride in traffic and enjoy the economy of cylinder deactivation and a very soft throttle pedal.

Yes, right.

The heart and soul of the Giulia is a 2.9-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine that develops a staggering 379kW and 600Nm of torque. (Image credit: Max Clamus)

I can't believe that someone who buys this car will ever use an A, but hey, you know it's not that bad if you think about it. In fact, when you're driving on the freeway, everything is perfect - smooth, quiet, and as soon as you put your shoes down, everything turns on again and you jump into warp nine without hesitation.

The curb weight of the Giulia Q is less than 1600 kg. While not a lightweight Lotus, it's still impressive given that smaller, less capable cars can't squeeze less than 1600kg, and a couple of its rivals are 200kg heavier.

The generous use of carbon fiber is partly responsible for this achievement - the entire hood is made of this material, as is the roof, while the guards and doors are made of aluminum. Open the Alfa's hood and you won't believe how light it is, nice carbon weave left unpainted on the underside. You can even see the composite strip on the underside of the hood from the driver's seat. It's neat.

There is another mode. Race. You must push the DNA disc counterclockwise and through the discharge. While DNA appears on the big screen in red, it turns orange. I know why - baby monitors go on vacation and the car turns into a complete hooligan.

Open the Alfa's hood and you won't believe how light it is, nice carbon weave left unpainted on the underside.

Turbines spin harder for more torque, and the transmission turns into a deadly weapon, just pushing the gears home with lively enthusiasm. The paddles elicit a response only shamed by the throttle. This is a complete animal. Exhaust roars, chassis tenses, steering, oh, steering.

Driving down winding roads, you won't believe how exciting and fun this car is, and how demanding of you to respect it. The torque-vectoring rear diff will let you push the tail off on the trail and threaten it on the road if you stomp on the gas foolishly.

The upshift crackle is more than Californian - this car makes theater better (in ascending order) than the BMW M3, Audi RS4 or Mercedes C63, and these three give it a red-hot ride.

However, the good thing is that this car is good in D, N, A and R modes. It will never be the most comfortable car in the world, but it is very close to being the most comfortable sports sedan.

It's a revelation, this Julia.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / 150,000 km


guarantee

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 7/10

The five-star ANCAP safety package consists of six airbags, ABS, stability and traction control, rear view camera, forward collision warning, automatic emergency forward braking (at high and low speed), lane departure warning and cross traffic warning in reverse.

Forward Collision Warning is the most interesting sound alert since the 1970 Renault 12 horn.

How much does it cost to own? What kind of guarantee is provided? 7/10

Alfa Romeo offers a three-year warranty or 150,000 km with roadside assistance during the same period.

Service is done every 12 months/15,000 km and you can prepay for three years of service at the time of purchase.

Verdict

Alfa gets high scores not only because it has a great engine, but also because everything in general is just great. On the road, Cars GuideTim Robson hooted happily, Richard Berry rubbed his hands happily along the way. I couldn't get the stupid smirk off my face.

It takes a long time to knock a car off the top of a tree, but Alfa may have just forced the BMW M3 out of my fast midsize car. It can even just shade the BMW M2.

It's not even like Alpha's glory days, it's something really special. This is a car that will fool you from the first time you slouch into an Alcantara seat to the last click of a cooling engine after a hard drive through the hills.

It's not just for the fans. This Alpha will change many minds.

This is the new Alfa Romeo with no excuses. Please discuss in the comments below.