There is a school of thought that anyone who likes cars should really own an Alfa Romeo at least once in their life. It has something to do with the brio, the flair and the sheer Italian passion that is supposed to run through the models from Milan.
The trouble is that, while Alfas have certainly retained a distinct and desirable flair in their design in recent years, the rest of the product has been less attractive.
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The company hopes to change all that with the new Giulia, and things are promising as soon as you get inside. In terms of design, the interior is stylish yet quite simple. The fit and finish seem good, with the plastics feeling solid, if not quite up to Audi levels of quality.
You can certainly detect inspiration from the Germans in the styling of some of the controls, which is no bad thing, either. In our Super trim car, there was an 8.8-inch screen (base-spec cars get a 6.5-inch screen), which was nicely hidden behind a larger swathe of glass in the dash, and navigating around the maps, radio and settings menus was pleasingly intuitive. The system will also support both Apple and Android devices.
Things are resolutely Alfa in front of the driver, with two prominent dials under individual hoods and a lovely three-spoke steering wheel with the start/stop button housed within the lower left sector. The most eye-catching things, however, are the large aluminium paddles fixed to the steering column. More on those later.
The seats are comfortable without being overly supportive, but you need to spec the Luxury pack if you want to have full leather and electric adjustment. In the back, there is an impressive amount of room, with enough space for six-footers to be comfortable in the slightly bucketed seats. This backs up Alfa’s boast of having the longest wheelbase in the class. In the boot you’ll also find adequate room, with a 480-litre capacity identical to the Audi A4, Mercedes C-Class and BMW 3 Series.
Press the button in the steering wheel and the 2.2-litre diesel comes to life in a slightly unrefined manner, but after it has settled, it’s remarkably smooth both at idle and on the move.
The UK will only get an automatic transmission option, yet this is no bad thing, as the eight-speed ZF box is very good. Those big aluminium paddles also have just the same feel as the ones you’ll find in a Ferrari, and if you want to do the shifting yourself, they make the process feel very involving. The pace is brisk, too, with the Giulia accelerating effortlessly and racing from 0-62mph in just 7.1 seconds. However, it’s also pretty frugal, with claimed 67mpg fuel economy – identical to a BMW 320d’s figure.
We drove the Giulia on Alfa’s test track near Milan, as well as on the road, and while surface imperfections were few and far between, the ride felt remarkably good. Speed bumps were tackled with impressive pliancy, yet there was also a lovely sense of support in corners and through compressions.
The steering rack is quick, although the car felt nicely calm and settled when cornering, with a discernible and enjoyable rear-wheel-drive balance if you pushed hard.
There are three driving modes to choose from with Alfa’s DNA selector. Advanced Efficiency mode is the most economical, but the Giulia feels hamstrung by the timid throttle and gearbox calibrations. The car is happiest in Natural and Dynamic settings.
All models have lane departure warning as standard, while adaptive cruise control, blind spot warning, a rear parking camera and autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian protection are all optional.
Overall, the Giulia is a pleasant surprise. Various engineers were brought across from Ferrari to guide development, and it has clearly been a very effective strategy. It’s enjoyable to drive and competitive in all the key practical areas, while retaining that dash of desirability that lifts an Alfa above the mere utilitarian.
- Model: Alfa Romeo Giulia 2.2 JTDM-2 Super
- Price: £32,000 (est)
- Engine: 2.2-litre 4cyl turbodiesel
- Power/torque: 178bhp/450Nm
- Transmission: Eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 7.1 seconds
- Top speed: 143mph
- Economy/CO2: 67.3mpg/109g/km
- On sale: September