Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV TCT and Alfa Romeo 147 GTA – characteristic Italian
Alfa Romeo cars have always evoked great emotions. Regardless of the model and date of birth, each Alpha seduced with its forms, seduced with style and provoked with performance. In addition, when they added top copies with a four-leaf clover in the background or with the three magic letters GTA in the title, it became very hot. Especially for you, we have collected two aggressive and sporty Alfas. The all-new Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde and its more experienced sister 147 GTA. Time to start temptation.
For many compact cars, appearance plays a secondary role. Manufacturers go to great lengths to make their car look as "safe" as possible and satisfy the tastes of as wide a range of people as possible. Growing sales bars are an undoubted advantage of such a strategy, but for customers less keen on Excel, looking at a boring compact hatchback is as exciting as buying cat food in a supermarket. Alphas were and remain different. However, take a look at the photographs that show the two main characters of this text.
Juliet is seductive from the very first contact. Its curves immediately catch the eye not only of the ugly sex. In addition, the blood red paint, which the test car boasted, clearly emphasizes all the charms of the flex line of the body. The compact Alpha circles dozens of heads behind its back and causes a lot of confusion around itself in the midst of a dull gray reality. To this attractive outer shell, they add the details that are the hallmark of the best QV strains. There are really few details (four-leaf clover emblems on the wheel arches, a slightly modified front grille and side sills). On the one hand, to praise the Italians for not spoiling the Giulietta's attractive exterior with eye-catching additions, but distinguishing a sports variation of the compact Alfa from a diesel under the hood is a very difficult task.
In the case of the Alfa 147 GTA accompanying the Juliet, there is no problem distinguishing the top variant from the more plebeian versions. True, the assertive tendency to “decorate” the body with a lot of spoilers and other cheap tricks was also removed here, but the “blowing” of the front and rear wheel arches breathed a lot of black character into the body of the inconspicuous Alpha. The front and rear bumpers have also been changed. It all looks very dynamic and menacing, and the long-term body design effectively protects itself from the passage of time.
Differences in body types are a kind of curiosity. The good-natured Alfa Romeo 147 was offered as a 3- and 5-door hatchback. The GTA variant appeared only in a less practical, i.e. 3-door version. Giulietta, regardless of engine version, is always a five-door car. Even in the predatory GV.
Alfa Romeo cars are not only attractive body lines, but also a sophisticated and stylistically refined interior. Despite the many stylistic refinements that could be found, for example, in the cabin of the 156 or 159, the interior of the 147 GTA looks extremely calm. The center console does not shout at us with its vulgarity, but it does not give the feeling of joining the art of the highest quality. However, a characteristic feature is the clocks located in deep tubes. In the case of the GTA variant, the speedometer comes to the fore. It's true that it looks pretty ordinary, but zooming the dial to 300 km/h is respectable. Finishing off the 147 GTA's interior theme, you can't help but notice the sharply contoured leather seats. Armchairs with very good lateral support and impeccable comfortable manners.
The seats inside the sporty Giulietta are also trying to take the lead. Italians have long paid attention to detail, and this element of the Alfa's compact interior is a perfect example of this. Is the Alpha logo symmetrically divided between the front seatbacks? Catchy Giulietta lettering near the headrests? Only specialists from the Apennine Peninsula could think of such a thing, and only in Alfa Romeo such performances are completely unexpected. The QV variant adds a green thread that pops in here and there, and despite the lack of distinct "fountains", the dashboard pattern isn't dull as oily offal. Of course, one can quibble over the touch-screen infotainment system from the less prestigious Fiat, but in reality, this unattractive pedigree will be the only thing to blame her for.
A beautiful exterior that arouses admiration, non-standard interiors that complement the whole - all this, in the case of the presented models, can cause true admiration. As already mentioned, both presented cars have another trump card up their sleeve, which is the real icing on the cake. The highlight of the program, of course, are the engines.
Giulietta Quadrifoglio Verde is currently the most robust and poisonous variety of this compact Italian. The 147 GTA in its heyday was Alfa's show of strength and the absolute leader without compromise. How else can you put a 3,2-liter V6 engine under the hood of a compact 3-door car? The very fact of having such a resilient mechanical heart responsible for drive raises the level of character and uniqueness to very high levels. Areas not available for currently offered vehicles. Although the Giulietta QV is in some ways a continuation of the 147 GTA tradition, its engine is almost half the size of the more experienced, curvy Italian. 1,75L, 4-cylinder in-line, and a big turbocharger don't make that impression today. Especially against the background of the "V-six" from the model 147 GTA.
Despite the sharp and forced "green" reduction of the power unit, the technical parameters and characteristics not only did not deteriorate, but also improved the agility of the sports Alpha. The engine running under the hood of the 147 in the sharpest version of the GTA produces 250 hp. and 300 Nm of maximum torque. All that is thrown to the front axle and connected by a 6-speed manual transmission, allows it to accelerate to the first 100 km / h in 6,3 seconds. The motor responsible for driving the most powerful Giulietta has a power of 240 hp. appetite, the new unit has more to say. The over 340-liter V100 can consume between 6,1 and 3 liters for every 6 km depending on driving style. In such a company, 10 TBi is practically not abstained, settling on average at the level of 20-100 l / 1,75 km. Modernity would eclipse the classics even more if not for the sound. The 8-liter heart of the 11 GTA simply crushes with its sound. The newer unit doesn't help even the fact that it also runs under the hood of the 100C supersport model. The Giulietta QV engine sounds good and tries to be ferocious too, but with the big sister's aria, it's definitely hiding in the shadows.
The driving experience of both cars is similar. Both the Giulietta QV and the 147 GTA are fast cars ready to partner with more dynamic drivers. In the field of asceticism and a certain connection between the driver and the car, the elder sister leads. Its engine pushes the car forward from the lowest revs, and the Alpha itself pushes and provokes the driver to more lively actions. The Giulietta also has a lot to offer in terms of driving dynamics, but only reaches its full potential when dynamic mode is activated. The other two options available, Normal and All Wather, make the smartest Juliet a meek and flirtatious Italian who doesn't really want to play. The choice of humor (read the specifications) "Julkie" makes this car a more versatile vehicle for every day than the model 147 GTA. In favor of Giulietta speak and more practical body, and a kind of maneuverability. The huge, almost 12-meter turning radius of the big sister can be effective during parking maneuvers or when driving through narrow city streets.
The gearbox remains a separate topic. TCT is a brand new feature for the powerful Giulietta QV. Is this a good and recommended solution? Undoubtedly, the Italian "automatic" reads the driver's intuition well and effectively turns the gear ratios, but at times it gives the impression of being hyperactive. The full pleasure of driving a sports "Yulka" can be obtained by switching to manual gear selection using the paddles hidden behind the steering wheel.
At the beginning of this text, I mentioned that cars with the Alfa Romeo badge always evoked emotions and increased heart rate. The presented two models are no exception to this rule. Both the Giulietta QV and the 147 GTA seduce with their looks and provoke with their performance. Undoubtedly, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta QV is not the cheapest (prices start at around PLN 120) and the best in measurable terms with a hot hat available on the market. However, Juliet QV, like her older sister, has a certain unique charm. The amulet, which evokes emotions and excitement, accompanies its owner not only while driving, but also long before and after starting the engine.
