C A R
R E V I E W
THE NEW
Alfa Romeo
Giulia
In May we got our first glimpse of the new Alfa that is due to be
launched in the UK sometime in September 2016.
This new car has distinctive Italian
design; innovative powertrains, perfect
weight distribution, some unique
technical solutions and one of the best
weight-to-power ratios.
The taut proportions of the Giulia have
evolved from its all-new rear-wheel drive
architecture which gives the car short
overhangs, a long bonnet, muscular
haunches and the longest wheelbase
in its segment. The Giulia benefits from
the careful management of weights and
materials to obtain perfect 50/50 weight
distribution across its axles too.
A full range of all-new, all-aluminium
engines power the Alfa Romeo Giulia
saloon, putting them at the top of their
segment for performance and efficiency.
All engines are manufactured in Italy and
include two version of a 2.2 turbo diesel
producing 150bhp and 180bhp.
However the real excitement is likely
to be around the Ferrari-inspired, 2.9
V6 BiTurbo petrol engine which is
constructed entirely of aluminium and
delivers 510hp and will be exclusive
to the Quadrifoglio version of the car.
Remarkably, it is also best-in-class in
terms of emission levels thanks in part
to its electronically-controlled cylinder
disabling system. In the UK, this engine
will only be offered with an advanced
eight-speed automatic transmission,
with paddle shifters and performance
calibration as standard.
Standard on all versions is Forward
Collision Warning (FCW) and
Autonomous Emergency Brake
(AEB) with pedestrian detection. This
100
system automatically slows or brakes
the car to avoid an imminent crash,
using radar sensors and a camera to
detect whether vehicles or obstacles,
including pedestrians, are in its path. The
system first warns the driver about the
obstacle via an acoustic alarm and, if
the driver fails to react quickly, it brakes
autonomously to avoid collision at
speeds of up to 40mph. Clever stuff.
At the time of writing Alfa have not
released pricing details but I anticipate
that the range will start at around
£29,000 which puts it smack bang in the
middle of BMW 3 Series country.
Personally I have never been a huge fan
of Alfa Romeos but this one could be the
one that changes my mind.
By Jason Edge