Audi. BMW. Mercedes. These are the popular brands people reflexively shop when looking for a luxury sedan. But what if you find them to be a bit boring or complacent? That's where the 2018 Alfa Romeo Giulia comes in. This Italian luxury sedan newcomer isn't well-known, but once you see it, it's hard to ignore.
The Giulia looks like nothing else on the road thanks to its taut styling and classic Alfa Romeo grille. The beauty is more than skin-deep too. The Alfa Romeo Giulia is tailor-made for anyone bored with the oh-so-familiar line-up of German executive saloons on their company car list.
Unlike its predecessors, it is driven by its rear wheels rather than those at the front. This switch from front to rear-wheel drive allows the car to sit more comfortably next to rivals such as the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C Class, while the use of lightweight aluminum in the car’s structure and bodywork should be good news for fuel-efficiency and cornering poise.
Engine
The Giulia is available here in the Philippines with two variants, the 2.0 litre turbocharged motor gives about 200 hp and 330 Nm of torque in the “Super” variant and the 2.9 litre 505 hp and 600 Nm of torque in the top range Quadrofoglio. The car we have is the “Super” variant, and let me tell you it’s more than enough for a day to day drive. It’s silky smooth engine feels like it’s being run on caramel paired with that comfortable yet, capable ride.
Exterior
The main thing to say about how the Giulia looks is that it is so stylish and different from the rather standard looking German models, you could justify buying it because of that reason alone. The signature Alfa grille, wide front inlets and beautifully sculptured lights are just the start, as the flowing roof line and short overhangs make this a tasty proposition.
The rather superb Quadriofoglio (QV) version is even sportier-looking and quite simply, a masterpiece. Unless you go for a high spec model, the interior feel and finish may leave a bit to be desired, with the more refined results in similar rivals making the Giulia feel less premium.
Interior
The Alfa Romeo Giulia isn’t the easiest of executive saloons to get into, due to its fairly low roofline and low-set seats. But once you’re in, it caters for larger adults fairly well in both the front and the back. The front seats are quite wide, adjustable and comfortable, even if they could use a little more under-thigh support. Both shoulder room and elbow room are also good. There’s an assortment of cubbyholes for stowing your odds and ends, too, including a sizeable space underneath the centre armrest.
The Giulia’s driver’s seat is set low and allows you to adopt a hunkered-down position in front of well-positioned pedals and a broadly adjustable steering wheel with a pleasingly slim rim. The infotainment system is controlled by a dial and relayed through an 6.8” colour display that appears as if from nowhere behind a smoked screen. Only the average-quality graphics and a slightly dim display let the side down. Seeing out of the front of the Giulia could be easier: its thick windscreen pillars really block your view at junctions and roundabouts. However, reversing is made easier by rear parking sensors being standard on even the entry-level.
Performance and Drive
The Giulia combines a smooth, fluent ride with wonderfully balanced handling – the latter really distinguishing it from its less involving rivals from Germany. Alfa’s 2.0-litre turbo petrol engine feels potent, sounds good and revs smoothly. It’s more willing and athletic repertoire is a better match for the Giulia's fluid handling. In fact, it’s more fun to drive quickly than it’s equivalent rivals. The brakes are sublime, you can really feel an immediate response once you’ve tapped the brakes.
As for refinement, the Giulia is as simple as it gets. there's more wind noise than in many rivals. Road noise is subdued, though, making the Giulia a more peaceful companion. If you’re looking for a well-balanced, great-to-drive executive saloon, look no further – it really is that good. The rear-wheel drive setup helps this massively and makes it feel sporty to drive but the ‘Advanced Efficiency’ settings in Alfa’s DNA driving modes makes the Giulia feel like any other car which is absolutely a good thing.
In normal and dynamic modes though, the Giulia is a stand-out model in the executive saloon segment. With the 50:50 weight distribution, excellently engineered suspension – that doesn’t even need the active dampers you get in the QV model – and direct steering, you feel involved and know from then-on that this is how a saloon should be set up. The surprising feature of the Giulia is its compliant suspension, as it is the most dynamic executive saloon but is also perfectly comfortable on bumpy Manila roads. You will feel potholes in the cabin but the well-engineered suspension manages to isolate it in its respective corner.
Value for Money
At P3,820,000, let’s start with the good news – you get plenty of good equipment from the base Giulia spec. You get the Alfa Connect infotainment system with a 6.5-inch screen, DAB Radio and Bluetooth, multi-functional leather steering wheel, autonomous emergency braking, lane departure warning, rear parking sensors, Start&Stop system, eight-speed automatic gearbox, dusk sensor and ambient LED lighting. That’s a good amount of accessories considering the size and market the car is in.
Overall Verdict
The Alfa Romeo Giulia then, quite a good car you say? Well no. It’s a damn great car! The moment Petromax Enterprise (Alfa Romeo and Abarth Philippines) agreed to lend me the car, i was ecstatic! Having driven almost all of the Giulia’s rivals, I certainly was excited to get behind the wheel of this Italian hero and immediately fell in-love. Mind you, this review is not biased at all, but since this is my take, I am completely and utterly head-over-heels in love with the Giulia. It’s not just about how the car feels, but you can really feel Alfa’s passion in this car. That sense of flamboyance and ostentatious styling would make any petrolhead drop in awe and just lust after it.
But anyway.. going back to a more serious perspective.. the Alfa Giulia certainly is on the German rival’s radar, but what about it’s reliability you might ask? Well, as the Giulia is still in its infancy, there is little to report on the reliability front as of yet, but in a couple of years you will have a better idea of how it holds up – and it needs to if it’s to compete with the German rivals. Depreciation? again – a bit early to say how the Giulia will do, but reports have said it can be on par or better than comparative BMW 3 Series models, which would be a success for the Italian brand. The Giulia is better looking and more fun to drive, so when three years come and go, this may be an excellent used car to get your mits on.
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