Alfa Romeo Giulia, presentation and test drive in Madrid

Alfa Romeo has just started selling a model that looks back to the past to improve the future of the Italian brand. It is called Giulia, and yes, it bears exactly the same name as the well-known model from the brand’s 1960s and 1970s heyday.

The new Alfa Romeo Giulia seeks to restore to the brand the character and passion it seemed to have lost in recent times, and it does so with a Latin spirit in which design and sportiness go hand in hand, making it a very appealing saloon.

During a brief day we were able to learn all its details, see it, examine it and drive a few kilometres (though not many) in it. For this first contact the brand only had a Alfa Romeo Giulia in Super trim with the 2.2 diesel engine producing 180 hp.

Exterior design

The Giulia measures 4.64 metres long, 1.86 metres wide and 1.44 metres high. The wheelbase is 2.82 metresThe front of the new Alfa Romeo Giulia uses three air intakes. One on each side of the lower section and a central one in the shield shape typical of the brand, which has accompanied its models for several decades, with the number plate placed on the left side of the front. Its sporty look comes from slim, very characterful headlights. The bonnet has two curved ridges that continue the lines starting from the central grille and end at the wing mirrors.

In the side view we see the large dimensions of the bonnet, which is very long and practically flat, continuing into the classic four-door saloon shape. The design of the flanks makes it clear at first glance that the “good stuff” of this car is at the back, that is, it visually tells us it is rear-wheel drive. This is achieved by focusing our attention on the rear half of the car. The wheels on the test units were 18-inch multi-spoke designs, although on this trim the standard wheels are 17-inch.

At the rear the light clusters, as at the front, are very slim and elongated. Here they are split, with about half integrated into the boot lid and the rest in the bodywork. The lower part of the rear bumper is finished in black and has an exhaust outlet on each side in chrome.

Interior design

The materials are on a par with its three German rivalsOnce inside, we easily recognise that we are not in a German car nor a Japanese one, but at the driving position of a passionate Italian. The materials are on a par with its three German rivals, and so are the finishes. Depending on the version, you can find wood inserts on the dashboard, the centre console and the doors. In the centre of the dashboard is the 8.8-inch infotainment system screen which, contrary to expectations, is not touch-operated.

The instrument cluster is very easy to read and between the dials it has a small colour screen showing various information to the driver about the vehicle’s status. The steering wheel has three spokes, very slim indeed, with a perfect feel and slightly flattened at the bottom. Notably, on its left side there is a circular button to start and stop the engine. The automatic versions, as in this case, have huge aluminium-finished paddle shifters behind the wheel, fixed and pleasant to the touch, which in some ways recall those used by Ferrari. Either way, the sense of quality is very good and it feels very elegant.

As for space, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is not one of the most generous in its segment. If our unit has a sunroof, the roof sits a few centimetres lower and may feel a bit tight for anyone taller than 1.80 metres. We also got into a unit without a sunroof, and the difference in this respect was quite noticeable in the front seats, so if you are a tall person I would not recommend the optional sunroof.

In the second row of seats, the side seats have quite generous legroom thanks to the longitudinal distance, although headroom could be better. In any case it can be rated positively, for a car designed with sporty looks in mind rather than a functional interior. The worst of it falls to the centre seat, which is very limited. The width is very reduced, the headroom is somewhat lower than at the sides, and the transmission tunnel is too large, so it is best used as little as possible.

The boot has a capacity of 480 litres, although visually it seems smaller because of the narrow loading aperture typical of four-door cars, which makes loading and unloading more difficult.

Behind the wheel

We sat in the driver’s seat, pressed the circular button on the steering wheel, and the 2.2 turbodiesel in our unit came to life. All diesel versions have 2.2 litres of displacement, with 136, 150 and 180 hp versions, all available with a six-speed manual or an eight-speed automatic for the 150 and 180 hp versions. The tested unit had the most powerful engine in the diesel range and the automatic gearbox.

On starting, there is good insulation from vibrations inside the cabin, although it is true that some engine noise does “leak” into the cabin when cold at idle and during hard acceleration. We were surprised by the gear lever, very similar to the one used by BMW, although it is noticeably of slightly lower quality.

The most powerful variant so far (excluding the QV) produces 180 hp and a remarkable 450 Nm of torque. It is not an explosive engine; it is very linear and pushes forcefully from just below 2,000 rpm up to about 4,000. That very linear response may give the impression of not accelerating very quickly, but it does reach 100 km/h from a standstill in 7.1 seconds. The automatic gearbox responds well, being smooth when power demand is low and quick but not abrupt when we increase the pace.

The Giulia has been designed as a sport-oriented saloon, and that is especially noticeable in its steering. It is very, very direct and invites dynamic driving. The perfect weight distribution between both axles, its compact overall length for the D-segment together with a very modest weight, make it an agile car that obeys our commands and responds quickly to steering inputs. The suspension is geared more towards sportiness, being firmer than soft, though not uncomfortable for that reason. In any case, the test time was very limited and we will confirm this more definitively when the brand lends us a unit for several days.

Equipment and trim

The Giulia comes with systems such as forward collision warning and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, integrated brake system (IBS), lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, Connect navigation on a high-resolution 8.8-inch screen, xenon headlights with cornering lights and LED daytime running lights, LED rear lights, and the drive mode selector (D.N.A.), among others.

The range currently consists of three diesel engines and just one petrol, the Quadrifoglio Verde. All these versions are rear-wheel drive although Alfa has confirmed that all-wheel drive versions will follow along with at least two more petrol engines.

There are three different trims: Giulia, Super and Quadrifoglio VerdeThe Giulia trim includes 16-inch wheels, cloth seats, dual-zone climate control, forward collision warning with emergency braking assist, lane change warning, D.N.A., fog lights, light and rain sensors, electric parking brake, Alfa Connect with 6.5-inch screen, a 3.5-inch TFT instrument cluster display and a multifunction leather steering wheel.

The Alfa Giulia in Super trim adds 17-inch wheels, seats with mixed leather and cloth upholstery, two interior colours to choose from, dual exhaust outlets, aluminium inserts, rear parking sensors, and paddle shifters for the automatic gearbox.

The top trim is Quadrifoglio, paired with the sporty 510 hp V6 engine. It features 19-inch wheels, sports seats in leather and Alcantara, carbon-fibre bonnet and roof, four exhaust outlets, sporty bumpers, carbon-fibre trim, bi-xenon lights, a specific sports steering wheel, and four systems to improve the car’s dynamics: Active Aero Splitter, DNA Pro, Active Torque Vectoring and CDC, plus blind spot warning and the four-leaf clover badge.

Prices across the Alfa Romeo Giulia range

• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 136 hp Giulia: 33,150 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 150 hp Giulia: 34,550 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 150 hp Giulia automatic: 37,050 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 150 hp Super: 36,050 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 150 hp Super automatic: 38,550 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 180 hp Super: 37,850 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM 180 hp Super automatic: 40,350 euros
• Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.9 V6 510 hp Quadrifoglio: 86,600 euros

During the presentation, Alfa Romeo stated that they expect the best-selling version to be the 180 hp diesel variant with automatic gearbox.

Alfa Museum

At the same venue as the event, Alfa has set up a museum with its most iconic models from the brand’s more than 100 years of history. Among them we could see examples ranging from the 1928 RL Targa Florio to the 2007 Alfa 8C, passing through relics such as the 1940 GP Tipo 512, the 1963 Giulia 1,600 Sprint Speciale or the 1971 Montreal.

Technical specifications of this car

SedanAlfa Romeo Giulia6 versions · from 49,600 €