22 February 2011
Alfa Romeo has been a tad on the back-foot with its brand image of late. Think Alfa and you think paying through the nose with not much to back it up, accompanied by a reputation for unreliability, poor performance and not-so-great resale value. Needless to say, Alfa has a lot riding on the release of the new Giulietta on 2011. So, do I think it make the grade? Read on.
Style and drive
Now Alfa Romeo’s style has never been in question and certainly this is not the case for the sexy new Giulietta. The car is simply gorgeous and – dare we say – dynamic in red, with dramatic curves including a stylish bonnet, defined grill and superior design lines. In short, expect to get noticed in this car.
There are 2 variants of the Giulietta, starting at $36,990 for the Giulietta 1.4 TB MultiAir and $41,990 for the Giulietta QV 1750 TBi. There’s just one 5-door model available. The 1.4 TB Giulietta is economical, sipping a mere 5.8 litres/100km for the basic model; the QV 1750 TBi taking 7.6 litres/100km.
The Giulietta has pulling power, excellent steering; feels light yet stable and to be honest, is really is delightful to drive. One has to strain to even hear the engine and when you put the pedal to the metal, this baby delivers so fast, you literally feel your stomach drop. Fun to drive? You betcha.
Interior
The interior of the Giulietta is all about retro minimalistic – think a clean yet sporty metallic dash and easy knobs and buttons, however, if only one gripe, perhaps the design was a little too much on the clean side with nowhere to store your personals.
Interior bells and whistles include dual-zone climate control air conditioning, cruise control, Blue&Me hands-free communications system with voice recognition, USB port and a 60/40 split folding rear seat.
Safety
Both variants come with 6 airbags, ABS with electronic brake force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control, cornering brake control, dynamic steering torque, hydraulic brake assist and a new pre-fill function for the brakes.
3 words to describe this car:
Sexy, unique, sporty.
What are the best things about this car?
It’s gumption, spunk and boot space.
What are the downsides of this car?
It’s not available in Australia until June 2011.
What kind of petrol did this car use?
Diesel and petrol, depending on the variant.
Liked it?
I cannot fault this car, giving me reason to believe the Giulietta will be a much-needed winner for Alfa Romeo.
If personified, who would this car be?
Beyoncé Knowles – sexy and confident with curves in all the right places
Soundtrack of choice for the Alfa Romeo Giulietta?
Diva by Beyoncé.