Alfa Romeo’s Giulia sets a high bar
touch a switch, stalk or lid an Alfa over the last few decades.
It’s not all perfect, however, as the infotainment system lets down the experience badly by being thoroughly awful to use. It is frustratingly slow, clunky and utterly unintuitive and it also adds belligerent roaring thing when provoked by a stab on the throttle.
The Quadrifoglio also possesses what is possibly one of the best automatic transmissions available today, particularly in a performance car, with super fast, remarkably refined shifts.
On the road the Quadrifoglio has a firm, yet beautifully resolved ride and utterly sublime handling that makes it an absolute dream to throw around.
With incredible turn in and razor sharp responses, both ends of the car work in perfect harmony and it boasts fantastic steering feel and feedback.
The brakes are incredibly powerful brakes and also full of feel.
Even in full Race mode (that disables the traction and stability controls entirely, so beware) the ride is more than acceptable, while the handling is just so damn good it is addictive.
Unfortunately it is this very mode that also leads to one of my biggest gripes with the Quadrifoglio (other than that annoyingly dumb infotainment system).
When in either of the other two modes (Normal and Dynamic) you only get full exhaust noise when you give it full throttle, meaning that, while you get that fantastically angry roar anywhere you nail the throttle, you miss out on the beautifully sonorous grumble at idle and threatening bellow on lesser throttle inputs unless you are in Race mode.
Which, as you would have read earlier, means you don’t have any traction or stability control. While this lack of electronic nannies is great fun in its place, that place really isn’t in everyday motoring, particularly in the wet.
So, yeah, I’m complaining about a slightly c... infotainment system (that actually sounds great) and the fact that you can’t get the full exhaust noise in the sensible modes. That’s right, the Giulia Quadrifoglio really is so good that that is literally all that bothers me about it.
So what does all this say about the forthcoming Stelvio Quadrifoglio?
While the addition of AWD will go someway to sort that issue of not being able to realistically (and sensibly) get full exhaust bellow in the wet, the additional weight and lack of a playful rear may hurt it in terms of driver involvement. And fun.
It remains to be seen just how good the Stelvio Quadrifoglio will be. But it has to said that with the Giulia, it has a thoroughly remarkable base to start from.