Alfa Romeo

Giulietta

Launched to celebrate Alfa Romeo’s centenary the Giulietta is certainly not for the faint-hearted. It boasts drop-dead-gorgeous looks, a great trim level and a drive that cannot fail to impress.

Test Drive

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.6 120bhp JTD TCT Super

Sometimes standing out from the crowd can be fun and that is something the Alfa Romeo marque has successfully achieved over the years with cars that always stopped onlookers dead in their tracks.

Admittedly, in decades gone by the Alfa cars were not really the most practical when it came to design, and the company was let down quite badly when it came to reliability. But that was then and this is now and thankfully that reputation has long been buried. So with electrical breakdowns a thing of the past, the Alfa Romeo brand is looking forward to a bright future.

With that in mind, one of the most eye-catching family hatchbacks to arrive on the scene in recent years is the five-door Giulietta with its super-sleek streamlining, LED daytime running lights, black honeycomb grille, 16-inch alloys, dark tinted windows and piano black bumper inserts. And befitting a car from a company steeped in motor sport heritage, the test model featured Alfa Red paint and, of course, a rear spoiler.

The Guilietta looks elegant, dynamic and athletic from any angle and the interior is beautifully styled too with plenty of Italian flair on show. Creature comforts include the likes of an Uconnect 6.5-inch colour touchscreen infotainment system with sat nav, DAB radio, Bluetooth, USB, Smartphone connectivity and six speakers. In addition, there is dual zone climate control, front and rear parking sensors, Stop & Start, cruise control and lots more besides.

The test car carried a £22,500 price-tag (£24,790 with options) and was powered by a 1.6-litre 120bhp diesel engine mated to Alfa’s double-clutch TCT six-speed automatic gearbox. It could reach from 0-62mph in 10.2 seconds and maxed out at 121mph. According to official figures, the combined fuel economy is 74.3mpg with carbon emissions of 99g/km.

In busy town centres, the Guilietta was beautifully agile as it swept its way through the crowds. But in all honesty, it is out on the more testing open roads where this car really bursts into life. That’s because the Giulietta is fitted with a DNA system – driving modes aptly called dynamic, natural and all-weather (so DNA).

When the car is in All-weather mode it copes effectively with more severe conditions and when it’s set to Natural it delivers a very efficient, comfortable and enjoyable ride for day-to-day driving.

However, flick the toggle switch across to Dynamic and the Giulietta becomes a completely new animal. Everything seems to wake up – the throttle, acceleration, rev counter and gear shifts make it feel like you are driving a totally different car. Many manufacturers develop vehicles with a ‘sport’ or ‘dynamic’ mode and it makes very little difference to the ride and handling. That’s certainly not true of the Giulietta which can be launched into long, sweeping bends with confidence.

The road-holding is ultra grippy and the whole driving experience is thrilling and guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Of course, there has to be some compromise and that comes in the shape of comfort. In Dynamic mode the ride becomes quite firm and cabin noise is also much louder. But that’s a small price to pay for the value of the fun factor.

Generally comfort levels are good within the car but the coupe styling means back seat passengers will be complaining after a short while due to the limited leg room.

Elsewhere storage options are respectable with a boot capacity of 350 litres which can be increased to 1,045 litres with the 60:40 split-folding rear seats dropped flat. In addition, there is a cooled glovebox, door pockets and cup holders, which to be truthful, could do with being a little deeper in order to safely transport hot drinks with any confidence.

As one would expect these days, the Giulietta is kitted out with a comprehensive list of safety features making it quite the appealing all-round package.

Admittedly, it’s not the type of car that will be everyone’s cup of tea, but for anyone who relishes pure driving and is happy to stray away from the big mainstream names, then the Giulietta could be the perfect model of choice.

Test Drive

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir 170bhp Sportiva

Alfa Romeo has a rich history of producing performance cars and the latest model to emerge from the Italian marque is the eye-catching Giulietta.

Although the five-door hatchback was launched a few years ago now, there is a new trim level which really ups the ante and gives the car that little bit of additional bite.

In fact, the Sportiva trim, which is available on range-topping versions of the Giulietta, combines the vehicle’s sporting good looks with excellent fuel efficiency and low carbon emissions.

So for the ever-conscious followers of fashion that are drawn to the Alfa branding that means extra eye-catching spec such as oversized red Brembo brake callipers mounted inside 18-inch alloys with a dark titanium finish.

Plus there’s the addition of heated leather sports seats, a rear armrest with storage compartment and sport kick plates. The Sportiva package costs an additional £1,860 but buyers receive an extra £3,000 worth of upgrades.

The test model boasted a Ghiaccio White paintwork – only the Italians could make a shade of paint sound ultra-exotic!

The Giulietta is guaranteed to stand out in any crowded car park thanks to a number of features, such as darkened headlights, LED daytime running lights, body-coloured bumpers, chrome effect window sills, a rear spoiler, aluminium sports pedals, sports dials with white illumination, dark tinted windows, rear parking sensors, a refrigerated glovebox, a BOSE sound system with eight speakers and a dashboard fascia that wouldn’t look out of place on the modern-day Starship Enterprise.

Once inside, it’s impossible not to be impressed with the build quality that surrounds you with all controls and read-outs perfectly positioned for driver usability.

And one feature that simply has to be explored is the range of driving modes – dynamic looked the most tempting and believe me, it didn’t disappoint.

Admittedly the ride can be a little hard at times and the unexpected pothole can be experienced to the max, but the roar of the engine combined with the outstanding driving dynamics soon take over your focus of attention.

When put through its paces, the Giulietta loves to demonstrate just how capable it is.

Tight bends are attacked and conquered with ease and acceleration through the six speed manual transmission is lovely and smooth with a constant supply of power on tap courtesy of the 1.4-litre petrol engine.

The fact that the Giulietta can sprint to 62mph from a standing start in just 7.8 seconds is certainly testament to its performance capabilities.

All-round visibility is relatively good and the car features a generously-sized boot – this can be increased further thanks to 60:40 split-folding rear seats.

The Giulietta, which received safest-in-class accolades at launch, boasts a whole host of features aimed at protecting occupants such as anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, hill holder, numerous airbags and lots more.

Alfa Romeo has a very large and loyal fan base who embrace everything Alfa.

So, the new Sportiva trim on the Giulietta should see them brimming over with excitement.

 

Test Drive

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0 JTD 170bhp TCT Veloce

Fast, flashy and oozing Italian flair, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta is yet another statement from the company that never shies away from a challenge.

Long gone are those days when an outing in an Alfa frequently meant the intervention of a breakdown truck. Because today’s cars are as beautifully crafted as ever, but more importantly they are totally reliable.

The stylish Giulietta really does look fabulous from any angle thanks to its smooth sweeping lines. The rear door handles are flush to the bodywork so the car maintains its coupe appearance despite being a four-door model.

Other features to grab onlooker’s attention include 17-inch alloys, Alfa Red paintwork, twin tailpipes, darkened headlights, tinted windows with slim chrome effect surrounds, a rear spoiler, LED daytime running lights and that traditional triangular grille with the front number plate offset from centre.

Once inside, it’s impossible not to notice the car has a real wow factor to it. The rippled sports seats are set off with neat red stitching and the shiny dashboard is another attention-grabbing factor.

There is plenty of on-board technical wizardry such as a refrigerated glove-box, stop/start technology, cruise control, an electric double sunroof, air con, a radio with CD and MP3 compatibility, parking sensors, Bluetooth connectivity and aluminium sports pedals with Alfa Romeo embossed on them just in case you forget the brand – no chance!

Back seat passengers are treated to ample head, shoulder and leg room and there is lots of storage in the deceptively large boot. Split-folding rear seats mean the storage capacity can easily be increased when necessary.

The car is powered by a 2.0-litre diesel-driven engine and to be honest it goes like a rocket.

The Giulietta can reach 62mph from a standing start in 7.9 seconds, but can still return combined fuel economy of 62.8mpg.

This excellent efficiency is partly down to the fact the Giulietta is fitted with twin clutch technology which results in improved fuel economy and reduced carbon emissions.

Acceleration is swift and road holding exceptionally good, even at higher speed on tight bends. And the driver can choose from three driving modes – normal, dynamic and all-weather. Dynamic is certainly the most fun as everything about the car is edgier and sharper, but this is not the most economical mode.

Alfa Romeo has packed a very comprehensive list of safety specifications into the Giulietta and it has received outstanding marks in the extensive Euro safety tests.

My only gripe after a week-long test was that on a sunny day there is some glare from the shiny dashboard.

But that issue aside the Giulietta is quite a car. It looks fantastic, has unique Italian style and elegance and it is certainly one for any driver who likes to stand out from the crowd.

Test Drive

Alfa Romeo Giulietta 2.0 JTD 170bhp Lusso

If you’re ever lucky enough to celebrate a centenary then the party needs to be memorable for all the right reasons and thankfully for Alfa Romeo, the company’s 100th birthday bash coincided with the launch of the beautifully crafted Giulietta.

Guaranteed to stand out in any crowded car park, the Giulietta seems to have it all.

The looks are stunning with inspiration from the past (the Giulietta first appeared in the 50s) but its designs are definitely for today. And when it comes to performance, well, simply hang onto your hat!

There are three general trim levels to choose from – Turismo, Lusso and Veloce – and then there is the mighty Cloverleaf for the real petrol heads out there.

The Giulietta boasts a very distinctive front end that reflects new generation Alfa Romeos with a forceful yet subtle styling incorporating the classic shield grille suspended between the air vents and headlights. And with the number plate positioned to the side, the car is instantly recognisable as being from the Alfa stable.

The streamlining is apparent at every turn which guarantees the Giulietta has the dynamics and handling of a coupe but the practicality of a five-door saloon.

The rear end is nice and beefy in appearance too with tail lights that employ LED technology – this makes them brighter, more reliable and they also use less power.

Once inside, the very spacious Giulietta cannot fail to impress with its typical Italian flair and precision. The seats, leather of course, have neat red stitching and the trim level is simplistic in design but very effective.

All the controls, dials and features are clearly marked and perfectly positioned for ease of use and the driver is treated to fantastic comfort levels and excellent all-round visibility.

The 2.0-litre diesel engine on the Lusso model boasted plenty of power and acceleration and with Alfa Romeo’s ingenious DNA (dynamic control system) there is always that extra bit of oomph at your fingertips.

Road-holding was exceptional and although the ride was a little bouncy at times, the handling through tight bends was flawless.

Creature comforts are plentiful and include cruise control, electric windows, dual-zone climate control, sports dials with white illumination, parking sensors, start and stop technology, an excellent sound system with CD, MP3 compatibility and six speakers, plus a whole lot more besides.

Alfa Romeo is renowned for its safety record and the Giulietta is already the safest car in the mid-size C segment beating off some very stiff opposition. The test model boasted anti-lock brakes, electronic brakeforce distribution, vehicle dynamic control, brake assistant with hill holder, numerous airbags and to be honest a list of features that seems to go on forever.

Alfa Romeo clearly has its target market in mind – the Giulietta is for the motorist who simply loves to spend time with family and friends.

Back in 1954, the Giulietta was the first car Alfa Romeo made for the masses and its revival 50 years on is certainly going to grab the motoring world’s attention once again.

In fact, Shakespeare himself couldn’t have found a more perfect match than the Alfa Romeo and Giulietta!