2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia Review: Quick

Alfa Romeo is constantly on the cusp of greatness. An eternal talker, not that a walker.

Every few years, a new person leading the brand in Australia comes up with a scenario that I've heard a few times, for example.

“This is the rebirth of a famous and legendary brand, blah, blah, blah, motorsport heritage, blah, blah, blah, 5000 units a year for five years, blah, blah, blah, our cars are reliable and do not rust. more, blah, blah, bloody blah.

The Giulia sedan is the car that Alfa Romeo now believes will take it into the luxury car mainstream, and there are signs that some of the outings did take place.

More than 500 Giulias have found a local home this year, helping Alfa lift itself off the canvas, and sales are up 36% since the start of the year compared to 2016.

Yes, it's coming from a low base, but with the new Stelvio about to jump into the ever-growing pool of premium midsize SUVs, and Giulia deliveries likely to be looser, 2018 could be even better.

So, should we put our hardened cynicism aside and dare to imagine that Alfa Romeo has a product that can really set it on an upward trajectory? Time to get behind the wheel of the Giulia Veloce and find out.

Alfa Romeo Giulia 2018: (basic)
Safety Rating
engine's type	2.0 L turbo
fuel type	Premium unleaded gasoline
Fuel efficiency	6l / 100km
Landing	5 Places
Price from	$37,300

Is there anything interesting about its design? 9/10

Hats off to the Alfa Romeo design team. Style center. The Giulia is a great-looking machine that combines smooth, flowing curves that echo classics from the brand's vast past with aggressive, angular elements that make the car stand out in any modern car crowd.

Intense color and impressive fit make for a stunning combination.

At just over 4.6m long, about 1.9m wide and 1.4m high, the Giulia sits on par with its compact luxury sedan competitors such as the BMW 3 Series, Jaguar XE and Merc C- class. 

Alfa says the Giulia's "cab-rear" proportions are based purely on chassis architecture, with short overhangs, a long bonnet and parallel front fenders. The teardrop profile is said to have been inspired by the Giulietta Sprint, a 1960s masterpiece and one of the most beautiful coupes to ever roll off the assembly line.

Large oblong headlights and the signature shield-shaped grille create a striking and distinctive look, while the taillights are shaped like the front ones with a neatly integrated spoiler on the trunk lid and a large three-channel diffuser aimed at aerodynamics. a function that also controls Julia's colorful form. 

The assertive look of the car and the rich “Monza Red” paint of our test Veloce, combined with the dark gray 19-inch “5-Hole” alloy wheels, created a stunning combination, to the point that almost every stop and exit from the car resulted in an impromptu conversation on roadside with an admiring spectator.

The interior is just as good, creating a cozy atmosphere.

The interior has managed to achieve the same balance between traditional design elements and modern technology to create a cool and inviting atmosphere in the cabin with intriguing design details throughout.

A pair of pronounced hoods over the main gauges (which are actually a 7.0-inch TFT color display), a tapering dash line and side ribs on the leather seat centers scream Alfa heritage, while the 8.8-inch the Connect media screen, Rotary Pad controller and elegant paddle shifters of the eight-speed automatic transmission are seamlessly integrated.

How practical is the interior space? 7/10

Eye-catching doesn't always mean practical (hello, Chic and Becks), but the Giulia has a lot to offer in terms of everyday use.

There are two decent-sized cup holders up front on the center console, next to them are two USB ports and an auxiliary line-in socket. There's also a 12-volt outlet in the center console drawer (with a retractable armrest), but the door pockets are a bit small.

The first thing rear passengers will notice is the narrow doorway, which makes getting in and out from behind difficult. And once you're there, headroom is modest. 

Access to the rear seats is difficult, and overhead is modest.

Behind the driver's seat, for my height of 183 cm, there is enough legroom, but thanks in part to the optional "panoramic double-glazed sunroof" ($2200) installed on our test car, the ratio of the rear roof to the body leaves much to be desired.

The optional sunroof eats up headroom.

The rear seats, on the other hand, feature adjustable air vents, a USB port, two cupholders in the fold-down center armrest, mesh pockets on the front seatbacks, and (small) door shelves.

Open the trunk and you have 480 liters of neatly stowed cargo space; enough to swallow Cars Guide stroller or our set of three hard cases (35, 68 and 105 liters) with relative ease. Flip a lever at the top of the boot and the 40/20/40 folding rear seat folds forward, more than doubling the capacity.

The 480-litre boot will easily fit into our three-pack.

There are four tie-down hooks, decent light, plus a cargo net, but don't bother looking for a spare tire; there isn't one, not even space to save space because the tires are flat.

If you're into towing, the maximum trailer weight with brakes is 1600kg or 745kg without stoppers.

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

Priced at $71,895, this Alfa could edge out some of the big automotive luxury bears like Audi (A4 2.0 TFSI quattro), BMW (330i M-Sport), Jaguar (XE 30t), Lexus (IS350 F Sport) and Mercedes- Benz. (From 300). And for that amount of money, it's fair to expect the Giulia Veloce's great design to be accompanied by a large set of standard features.

19-inch alloy wheels are standard on the Veloce.

The list of equipment is really impressively long, including 19-inch alloy wheels, Alfa active suspension, Q2 limited slip differential, leather trim, electrically adjustable heated sports front seats (with memory), leather trim (heated). sports steering wheel and shift knob, keyless entry and start, aluminum coated sports pedals, 8.8" color display with navigation, 7.0" color TFT instrument panel display, reversing camera, and front and rear parking sensors.

You can also expect active cruise control, a 10W audio system with 400 speakers (with subwoofer and digital radio), Alfa's "DNA" system (engine, steering, suspension, brakes, gearbox and throttle settings), dual-zone climate control. -control, automatic headlights (with automatic high beam function), LED DRLs, rain-sensing wipers, protective glass (rear side and rear windshield), not to mention safety, which we will touch on in the safety section.

A strong value proposition for this part of the market, but there are some notable omissions, including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto support, modest bi-xenon headlights while you can expect LEDs, and metallic paint is a $1300 option.

Audio packages (14 speakers, 900W Harman/Kardon "Surround Sound") and anti-theft protection (ultrasonic sensors and siren) are available.

What are the main characteristics of the engine and transmission? 8/10

The Giulia Veloce is powered by an all-alloy 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine with 206 kW at 5250 rpm and 400 Nm at 2250 rpm.

The 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine develops 206 kW/400 Nm of power.

Drive is sent to the rear wheels via a conventional eight-speed automatic transmission (with torque converter) with paddle shifters to take advantage of manual shifting.

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How much fuel does it consume? 8/10

Claimed fuel economy for the combined (ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban) cycle is 6.1 l / 100 km, while emitting 141 g / km CO02. And you will need 58 liters of premium unleaded gasoline (minimum 95RON) to fill the tank.

We recorded the 9.8L/100km figure indicated on the dash for about 300km of city, suburban and freeway driving, and it's worth noting that the standard stop-start function worked subtly enough that the usual urge to turn it off never arose. .

What is it like to drive? 8/10

The Veloce is the perfect combination of the powerful (379kW/600Nm) flagship twin-turbocharged V6 Giulia Quadrifoglio and the more casual (147kW/330Nm) Giulia and Giulia Super.

Alfa claims the Veloce sprints from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.7 seconds, which is fast enough, with a top speed of 240 km/h.

With eight ratios available and maximum torque (400 Nm) available at just 2250 rpm, mid-range acceleration is strong, not to mention extremely entertaining. 

Alfa's "DNA" system offers three driving modes: "Dynamic", "Natural" and "All Weather", with the system adjusting everything from steering and suspension to gearshift settings and throttle response.

In Natural mode, despite the 19-inch wheels and usually hard run-flat tyres, ride comfort is impressive thanks to the front double wishbone suspension and the multi-link rear suspension. While the steering weight is light, road feel is good, and the top two gear ratios in the eight-speed ZF automatic are overdriven for easy going. 

The only catch is the far from perfect progressive throttle with annoying jerks at low engine speeds.

Switch to dynamic mode and the supportive front sport seats come into their own, although this tester found the seatback to be taut. Grip with Pirelli P Zero tires (225/40fr - 255/35rr) is grippy, the active suspension adjusts instinctively for more aggressive driving, and the power-off thanks to the standard Q2 limited-slip differential is decisive.

The 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution and rear-wheel drive feel make the 1.5-tonne Veloce a pleasure to ride on winding country roads. Manual shifting via (alloy) paddles is quick, and braking response thanks to Alfa's "integrated braking system" (combining stability control and cable braking technology) is quick yet progressive and consistent.

We like the starter button on the steering wheel.

The cabin ergonomics are well thought out (love the start button on the steering wheel!), the infotainment system is intuitive to operate, and despite the nice raspy exhaust sound, the overall noise level (even in Dynamic mode) is low. In short, the Giulia Veloce is a fun and sophisticated ride.

Warranty and safety rating

Basic Warranty

3 years / 150,000 km


guarantee

ANCAP Safety Rating

What safety equipment is installed? What is the safety rating? 9/10

The Veloce is equipped with active safety technologies including lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring (with rear cross traffic alert), ABS, emergency braking system, automatic emergency braking (AEB), ESC, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, control tire pressure. , rear view camera (with dynamic grid lines), and front and rear parking sensors.

And if all that's not enough to keep you out of trouble, there are eight airbags on board (front, front chest, front pelvis, and full-length side curtains). The rear seat also has three top child restraint straps with ISOFIX attachment points at the two outermost positions. 

Giulia was not rated by the ANCAP, but its European affiliate EuroNCAP gave it a maximum of five stars in 2016.

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

The Giulia Veloce is covered by Alfa Romeo's standard three-year warranty or 150,000 miles with 24-hour roadside assistance during that period.

Recommended service intervals are 12 months / 15,000 km (whichever comes first), and Alfa's limited price service scheme locks in prices for the first five services: $345, $645, $465, $1295, and $345; averaging $619, and in just five years, $3095.

Verdict

The Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce exudes charisma, distinctive looks and attention to detail in design and performance. Plus, it's a fun and sophisticated ride. Alpha finally on the road to glory? Not yet, but this Julia is an impressive step in the right direction.

Alpha on the rise? Tell us what you think in the comments below.