Alfa Romeo Veloce
276bhp petrol model plugs gap between standard car and QF
CHANCES are you’ve already decided whether you want an Alfa Giulia or not. The brand’s first rear-wheel-drive saloon in decades is more than capable of going toeto-toe with its German rivals on the road, but it’s mightily appealing in the showroom, too, and that counts for a great deal.
Where it can’t quite match the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series or Mercedes C-class is in the sheer range of models it offers. The Giulia Veloce goes some way to redressing that, doing its best to fill the enormous power gap between the 197bhp 2.0-litre petrol and the ballistic 503bhp Quadrifoglio V6.
Mechanically, the Veloce is much the same as the standard car, with an aluminium engine block, direct-injection technology and variable-geometry turbocharging. But the 2.0-litre petrol engine has been tweaked to liberate an extra 79bhp and 70Nm of torque, cutting the 0-62mph time by ninetenths of a second. That makes the Veloce as fast as a six-cylinder 321bhp BMW 340i, despite being severely down on power.
As with all Uk-bound Giulias, the only transmission option is an eight-speed auto,
0-62mph/top speed 5.2 seconds/149mph
but unlike Uk-bound Veloces, the Q4 version here sends power to all four wheels rather than just the rears. So while it’s not totally representative of what British buyers will get, our early drive is food for thought.
The extra punch is quickly apparent, and while the engine never encourages you to spin it to the red line, it charges hard through the lower reaches with a gruff exhaust note to goad you on. Throttle response is keen on the move, and switching from ‘Natural’ to ‘Dynamic’ on the DNA drive mode selector improves things further – particularly at low revs. The gearbox is smooth and swift, and flicking up and down the cogs with those huge alloy paddles is a joy.
So too is the chassis. Traction was unflappable in our Q4 test car, but as nonquadrifoglio Giulias don’t let you disable the traction and stability control, our rear-wheeldrive models shouldn’t be too lairy, either. All Giulias have great balance, though, and a quick, accurate steering rack. There’s not
44.1mpg (official) £58 fill-up
much feel, but with a relatively spry 1,530kg kerbweight (1,429kg for the rear-drive car), the Veloce is agile and fun. It even rides well, and while the brake pedal is a little soft, there’s plenty of stopping power.
Visual changes pitch the Veloce between the Super and flagship Quadrifoglio, although the most eye-catching change is the vibrant new Misano Blue paintwork. A set of 18-inch alloys is standard, but our car’s bigger 19-inch rims match the Quadrifoglio’s in both size and appearance. The bumpers mirror those on the cloverleaf-badged model, too, as do the xenon headlights. At the rear, a set of twin-tailpipe exhausts completes the look.
Climb inside the Veloce and you’ll also note a few changes, including shapely leather sports seats, aluminium inserts and those Ferrari-style aluminium gearchange paddles. Bar one or two minor question marks over quality – the gear selector looks and feels rather cheap – it’s a well designed environment and the driving position is
spot-on, with plenty of adjustment in the supportive seat and steering wheel.
There’s also some theatre when you turn it on, as Alfa has positioned the starter button on the steering wheel just as Ferrari does on the 488 GTB. To begin with, the bland fourcylinder noise shatters the illusion, but push on and the engine responds keenly to throttle inputs – with a sporty note soon emerging.
It’s pretty good value, too. An equivalent BMW will cost around £3,000 more, while the faster Mercedes-amg C 43 starts from £44,315. And kit is decent, with all Veloces benefiting from an 8.8-inch touchscreen sat-nav, DAB radio and parking sensors.
Newcars