2015 saw the dawn of a new era for Alfa Romeo, and that era began with this Giulia. He not only threw the entire design over a different tack, but to everyone’s delight, he sent the drive back to where it belonged: the rear axle. Jolijt or not; eight years later you get the impression that that era has not been one of the most successful kind after all. For example, Giulie – let alone Stevii – are not exactly found on every corner of the street, while Alfa Romeo is especially furore with the compact, front-wheel drive SUV that is secretly back on a Fiat base: the Tonale…. So does the average buyer make a wrong choice?
Good designs have to mature
Based on the looks of this Giulia you would already think so. For example, we remember that we were not immediately convinced when it was revealed, but the best designs are simply those that have to mature. Eight years of maturity later, we would dare to call this Giulia the most handsome sedan on the market, and neither the giga nor the Singleframe grilles from BMW or Audi can change that. So give us a Scudetto pizza point in the center of the nose, flanked by two organically shaped headlights that, since the facelift, have actually breathed new life into the signature of the Alfa Romeo Sprint Zagato or – more recently – the Brera. And that the rest has remained virtually unchanged in all those years, only shows how timelessly elegant this design is.
And yes: that also applies to the cabin of this Giulia. It also sticks to its proven design, although we would like to add that a previous model year update made some of the materials palpably premium. This latest facelift finishes that picture with new technology, the capstone of which is a 12.3-inch screen where there used to be two analog clocks. You will now receive this as standard in the Giulia, although the more traditional Alfist can, if desired, conjure up a layout on the driver display that is reminiscent of the classic counters of yesteryear. The infotainment screen then keeps it at the same size as before, which is actually so small in 2023 that the search suggestions cannot even be visible when you are typing something in your Google Maps…
All-rounders of dampers
So don’t get us wrong: there are certainly aspects that show that the Giulia has had a number of years on the counter. One – not unimportant – aspect is, for example, the powertrain, because Alfa Romeo now offers a choice of only three motorisations. You get in with a 2.2-liter diesel engine that sends 160 hp to the rear wheels, and you can also get the same block with 210 hp and four-wheel drive. However, we received the 2.0-liter four-cylinder turbo petrol, which is now only available as a four-wheel drive ‘Q4’. The 200 hp variant also fails, so that every petrol Giulia – the Quadrifoglio aside – now sends 280 hp and 400 Nm of torque to an eight-speed automatic transmission. And if you now think that these are mild, full or plug-in hybrids, we have to disappoint you: there is zero point zero of electrification.
Now we’re going to say something controversial: that’s a good thing. The Alfa Romeo Giulia has always been a sublimely responsive device and even after this facelift there is no slow starter-alternator, over-adaptive brake regenerator or godforsaken piece of steering assistance that will change that. On a winding stretch of asphalt, you’re just one with this Alfa thanks to its wonderfully weighty steering feel and those jack-of-all-trades dampers. For example, our Competizione variant had active suspension that holds the body in dynamic mode a bit more firmly, but at the touch of a button offers comfort that we rarely experience in such a sporty steering car… so it too.
But why not a break?
When reading the above hymn, also keep in mind that we were not even on the road with a brute of a Quadrifoglio, but all that fun was simply offered by a copy with a 2.0-liter petrol engine. The 280 hp that that block produced turned out to be more than enough to amuse you, although that engine is not completely without flaws. For example, it delivers its power nicely linearly until it reaches 5,500 rpm, where the red zone already starts as if it were a diesel engine … And speaking of diesels: at low revs you would swear by its hum that your Giulia has a self-igniter under the hood had.
However, believe us when we say that you just take it for granted, especially when you notice how easily such a Giulia fits into your life. For example, we already talked about the double life of that suspension, but there is also little to complain about in terms of space. This way you can easily fit four adults, although it is a bit of a push with a fifth because the center tunnel at the back is so high. The trunk is not the largest, but with 480 liters it is exactly as spacious as that of a BMW 3 Series sedan. The only thing that we will never ever forgive Alfa Romeo is that they didn’t make a break version of this Giulia, because then we would have already pinned the money we didn’t have all the way to Arese.
50 euros cheaper than BMW
Secretly you have to have quite a bit of money for a Giulia. For example, the cheapest already costs 45,750 euros, and then you also have to make do with a diesel engine in your sports sedan. For one with a petrol engine like ours you pay 53,250 euros, but as said, it is of course immediately a copy with 280 hp and four-wheel drive. In other words, the basic prices are quite high, but a short escapade in the BMW configurator shows us that you pay anything but less for a similarly motorized 3 Series. For example, a 330i xDrive costs you – coincidentally or not – exactly 50 euros more, and it does it with 35 horsepower less.
In addition, your Giulia is not wrongly equipped as standard with, for example, a reversing camera and adaptive cruise control, and these are just two things that you do not get for free on your BMW. Furthermore, the basic equipment of both models is similar, so it’s up to you whether you prefer to drive German or Italian for that money … And before you quote the age-old reliability argument, think for a moment: how many more horror stories have you heard in its eight years of construction? about an Alfa Romeo Giulia than about a BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class?
Conclusion
Alfa Romeo has improved its Giulia once again, and we are now sure that this has happened for the last time. As far as we are concerned, there is little that can be improved on the model, unless they might add a break version or some cheaper engines. Preferably let those engines be nice and traditional, because oh woe to the person who dares to ruin the sublime driving experience of this device. So mother house Stellantis better take care of this kind of Italian heritage, if it ever wants to receive the money from the undersigned as soon as he has collected enough to put an Alfa Romeo Giulia to his name.
Motor
2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo petrol
transmission
8-trapezoidal machine
Price base model
€ 53 250.00
Average test consumption
8.70 L/100km
