Emotional and hot-blooded Italian car
“The Giulia has come for the drivers bored of the usual cars in that segment” said Issam
“The Italians gave us the engine-start button on the steering wheel even on the entry models”
“Giulia is the most entertaining and driver-centric vehicle”
After 12 years in the motoring journalism field I always used to admit that there are only two brands that rush my blood and increase my heartbeat. No offense to any other automaker but that’s the truth to me: Porsche and Alfa Romeo are my long lasting love affair. As you all know that one of the many hard lessons we learn as we grow up is a young love story. To those who have been in a long-term relationship know that no matter how faultless you are for one other, true love is quite hard to find. It takes years of working hard, it takes years of arguments and it takes years of accepting your partner’s mistakes but at the end of the day you just love your partner with no reason explaining why.
My love for cars is pretty the same because no matter what happens I will always be ready to assert my love for a car and defend it against all competitors. Deep down within me I might know it isn’t the perfect car to all the people but just like love, it takes someone quite special to see it perfectly with no faults.
Here I am after almost 9 months that I drove the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV back in Italy, taking the Alfa Romeo Super in Beirut for a weekend drive. I acquired the car from the recently appointed distributor Gargour Automotive.
The distinct body lines on the hood and the sides of the Giulia assert the car’s stylish and sporty characteristics and make it very pleasing to look at.
The interior of the Giulia is quite very familiar to me comparing to the QV. It comes with the same flat-bottom steering wheel and the same two-pod gauge cluster with a TFT display in the middle. The center stack is dominated by a 6.5-inch, horizontally oriented infotainment display and two large HVAC vents just below it.
The gasoline engine delivers 200 horsepower at 5,500 and 330 Nm of torque at a relatively low 1,750 rpm. The car felt like an all-wheel drive. I couldn’t even imagine that the Giulia is a rear-wheel drive especially on our Lebanese poor tarmac roads. You will be surprised by how much power the Giulia delivers on the wheels.
Verdict
With an overwhelming list of rivals, including the BMW 3 Series and Audi A4, in its class, can the Giulia be the money-making achievement that Alfa Romeo needs it to be? Don’t hesitate to pass by your nearest dealership in the Middle-East to pick your test car and you will surely understand that the new Giulia is extremely a pleasure to drive and to be owned. Price tag is pretty affordable and I hope that the resale value/image will be ameliorated throughout the upcoming years.
Rivals: BMW 3-Series, Audi A4, Cadillac ATS, Infiniti Q50
Pros: Striking exterior design, pleasant cabin, price tag, superb engine
Cons: Weak brand image in the Middle-East, no button to turn off the stability/traction control
4 stars
One word: Italia-nish
Specs
2.0L turbocharged, inline-4 cylinders, 200 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 330 Nm @ 1,750 rpm
RWD, 8-Speed Automatic
0-100 kph: 6.6 secs, top speed: 235 kph, fuel consumption: 5.9 L/100km
Weight: 1,504 kg