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Alfa Romeo Giulietta road test report

Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Alfa Romeo is capitalising on its rejuvenated image in the UK thanks to the Mito with a follow-up five-door model. The Giulietta is a size bigger than the Mito to take on the mighty likes of the Golf and Audi A3, though the elephant in the Alfa’s room is the BMW 1 Series. To define itself as a sporty brand, which it does, Alfa must be able to take on the BMW and win over customers. Is it good enough? Pretty much and it benefits from not being the obvious BMW choice, which will be enough to tempt some and spurn others. Regardless, the Giulietta is a very strong addition to Alfa Romeo’s range.

Road Test Reports Says 4 star rating
A front-facing image of the Alfa Romeo Giulietta

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ALISDAIR SUTTIE SAYS

Performance Performance - 4 stars

There are a couple of core elements to an Alfa Romeo and one of them is performance. Nestling behind the stylish grille of the Giulietta is a range of petrol and turbodiesel engines that deliver the goods and live up to the famous badge that celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2010. The petrols kick off with a 120bhp turbocharged 1.4-litre that offers 0-62mph in 9.4 seconds, which is just enough to feel nippy, if not exactly quick. A more likely contender for buyers’ affections will be the 170bhp MultiAir 1.4 turbo with 170bhp. It serves up 0-62mph in a much more hot hatch-rivalling 7.8 seconds and feels smooth and punchy. However, the petrol engine that will have BMW owners defecting to Alfa is the Cloverleaf-only 1750 TBi that provides 235bhp from its 1.75-litres and 0-62mph in a sizzling 6.8 seconds. It’s a refined engine, but there are plenty of sporty sounds when it’s pressed harder and used to full effect. For diesel fans, Alfa offers 1.6- and 2.0-litre turbodiesels with 105- and 170bhp respectively. The 1.6 may not be the quickest off the mark, but its economy and emissions compensate, while the 2.0-litre does a fine job of balancing oomph with economy. Every Giulietta except the Cloverleaf model comes with Start & Stop technology to cut the engine when the car is stationary to save fuel and lower emissions, and it’s easy to use and unobtrusive.

Ride & Handling Ride & Handling - 4 stars

Handling is another key area where an Alfa must perform, though not all previous models have managed to pull off a successful balance with ride comfort. Not so with the Giulietta which offers a supple and controlled ride that makes short work of dealing with most of the UK’s rutted roads. If you opt for the Cloverleaf model that is the sportiest of the bunch, its larger alloy wheels and firmer suspension mean a different trade-off between comfort and agility, but it’s one we’re more than happy to live with in a car with this kind of performance and it’s not unforgiving in the way sportier Audi A3s are. Accurate, quick-witted steering makes all Giuliettas feel nimble and turn-in to corners is deftly positive without making the Alfa twitchy. On motorways, there’s good refinement and the Giulietta makes a very able long distance machine thanks to its noise suppression and supple suspension. All models come with Alfa’s DNA button that allows the driver to choose between winter, normal and sports settings for the throttle and steering response. From our drive in Giulietta models, and much like the Mito, the car is best left in the Dynamic mode for all conditions as it feels more alert and quicker to respond to the driver’s inputs.

Build Quality & Reliability Build Quality & Reliability - 5 stars

Forget the old clichés and prejudices of the pub bore, the Alfa Giulietta is every bit as well put together as a Volkswagen Golf and from materials that are just as solid and classy. In all of the Giuliettas we’ve driven, there wasn’t a single squeak, rattle or creak in evidence and every surface our hands came into contact with during driving felt reassuringly high grade. With the Alfa Mito performing well in customer satisfaction surveys, there’s every reason to assume the Giulietta will score just as well. The engines have all been used in other Alfa models, so there are no worries there and the six-speed manual gearbox should cause no worries.

Safety & Security Safety & Security - 5 stars

As you’d expect of a car competing against the likes of the VW Golf and BMW 1 Series, the Alfa Romeo Giulietta comes with a lengthy list of standard safety and security equipment. Twin front, side and curtain airbags are all included, as are anti-lock brakes, ESP with Hill Holder to prevent the car from rolling backwards during hill starts, Isofix child seat mounts and LED daytime running lights. There’s also an alarm, immobiliser and deadlocks to have thieves looking elsewhere for easier prey.

Space & Practicality Space & Practicality - 4 stars

A single star is dropped here as the Giulietta doesn’t offer quite as much rear legroom as we’d like, so adults will feel a little cramped. Compared to an Audi A3, the Alfa is no worse, but next to a Volkswagen Golf the Italian car is just that little bit short on rear passenger kneeroom. However, it’s fine for headroom in the rear and the driver is treated to an excellent seating position thanks to plenty of adjustment in the seat and steering wheel. All-round vision is good and the simple, stylish dash is much easier and clearer to use and read than that of an Audi A3 and many other small hatches. There are several storage spots dotted around the driver to hold loose items and cupholders between the seats. A generous boot is on a par with most small hatches and is easier to lift heavy bags into than a BMW 1 Series’, while dropping the rear seats is quick, easy and frees up generous storage space with a completely flat load floor.

Ownership & Value Ownership & Value - 4 stars

The Giulietta has been keenly priced by Alfa Romeo to undercut its like-for-like rivals from the Volkswagen Golf range. It also stacks up very well price-wise next to rivals from Audi and BMW, and the Alfa comes with plenty of equipment as standard. The Giulietta looks set to follow the Mito’s example of holding its value well in the used market, so Alfa dealers are unlikely to offer much in the way of discounts. All Giulietta models except the Cloverleaf have fuel- and emissions-saving Start & Stop technology to switch off the engine when the car is at a standstill. It means impressive 114g/km emissions and 64.2mpg for the 1.6 turbodiesel engine or 60.1mpg and 124g/km emissions for the punchy 2.0-litre turbodiesel. The 120bhp 1.4 turbo petrol offers 149g/km and 44.1, while the 170bhp MultiAir 1.4 turbo provides excellent 134g/km carbon dioxide emissions and combined economy of 48.7mpg. Choose the Cloverleaf model and its 235bhp 1.75-litre engine returns an average of 37.2mpg and 177g/km. The entry-point Turismo models have LED daytime running lights, electric windows front and rear, air conditioning, CD stereo and 16in steel wheels. The more opulent Lusso trim adds alloy wheels, front fog lights, cruise control, climate control and Alfa’s Blue&Me Bluetooth hands-free mobile phone connection. Sportier drivers can choose the Veloce trim that provides sports suspension, side skirts for a sporting look, 17in alloy wheels, half leather upholstery and dark brushed aluminium interior trim inserts. Over and above the Veloce trim, the Cloverleaf has 18in alloy wheels, lowered suspension, dark tinted windows, Cloverleaf badges and red-painted brake callipers.

Submitted: 28/06/2010 10:03:50

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