Alfa Romeo’s long-awaited Giulia saloon will go on sale in December, with prices starting from €39,995.
The price tag pitches the Giulia higher than the entry-level models of most of its rivals, such as the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, but the Italian brand justifies the lofty price with a standard-format eight-speed automatic gearbox and generous equipment levels.
The Giulia also currently lacks a low-powered, manual-gearbox entry-level version, such as the BMW 316d. It’s price is certainly competitive with the likes of a 320d or A4 2.0 TDI, and it’s interesting that Alfa isn’t seeking to dramatically undercut such rivals on visual price, has had traditionally been its tactic.
Alfa Romeo hasn't skimped on the mechanical specifications of the Giulia. It has torque vectoring control across the range, and the body structure uses a mix of steel and lightweight materials. These include a carbon fibre for the driveshaft, aluminium composite and plastic for the rear crossmember, and aluminium for the doors, wings, engines, brakes and suspension – including the front suspension domes and front and rear sub-frames.
New engine
The most significant engine for the Giulia is the new 2.2-litre, M-Jet turbo diesel in either 150hp or 180hp form. With the automatic ZF gearbox, the 150hp version has carbon dioxide emissions of 109g/km.
There is also a 200bhp 2.0-lite petrol turbo version and, at the top of the range, the 520hp, 4WD Giulia Quadrifoglio, whose V6 twin-turbo engine is allegedly closely related to the 3.8-litre V8 turbo used by Ferrari. It costs €99,945 – €15 more expensive than a BMW M3.
Standard equipment on all Giulia includes 17-inch alloy wheels, LED rear lights, a chrome exhaust tip and aluminium brake calipers. Inside, you get the new UConnec 6.5-inch display infotainment system with rotary pad control, Bluetooth connectivity and an eight-speaker audio system, dual-zone climate control, DNA rotary driving mode selector, and a 3.5-inch TFT colour display in the instrument panel.
Also: rear parking sensors, automatic light/rain sensors, cruise control and a leather steering wheel on which is mounted the ignition switch.
Collision warning
Standard safety equipment includes forward collision warning with autonomous emergency brake and pedestrian recognition, integrated brake system, and lane departure warning. The Giulia has already been granted a five-star safety rating by EuroNCAP.
More expensive versions get an 8.8-inch infotainment display with split-screen technology and a larger TFT screen in the instrument panel. Options include Bi-Xenon headlights, 18-inch wheels, adaptive cruise control, a reversing camera and a sports steering wheel.
For a limited period after the launch, Alfa Romeo Ireland will price the upgrade between the Super, Super Sport and Super Lux trims at just €171.
Order books are open now and the first cars will arrive in Alfa Romeo showrooms in November.
