Alfa’s Giulia is a real gem
ALFA ROMEO is on a mission and aiming to put every one of its cars at the forefront of performance and handling in their class.
The first two of these are the marvellous Stelvio SUV and the brilliant Giulia saloon.
Both are only available with an eight-speed automatic gearbox,but it has superb fixed paddles to make the changes and they’re absolutely perfect.
I drove the Super, powered by a deliciously tuneful 2.0-litre turbo engine with 197bhp and smooth performance enough for just about anyone.
It reaches 60mph from rest in just 6.4 seconds and will go on to top 140mph given the right circuit.
There is also a 2.9 V6 version of the car called the Quadrifoglio (four leaf clover) and this holds the saloon lap record for the infamous 14-mile Nurburgring circuit in Germany.
But the 2.0-litre is also a gem. In full automatic, the gearbox handles everything superbly and I only needed the paddles when I was really pressing on.
Overtaking is simply a matter of thought and it’s done whenever a straight piece of road appears, one tailgating woman in a Land Rover Discovery must have wondered where I’d gone as I accelerated away from her into the wild blue yonder.
Add that stonking performance to the most fluid and agile handling and grippy road-holding, all helped by the Alfa’s brilliant 50/50 weight distribution front and rear, and you have a car to be reckoned with.
The stylish interior of the Super comes with electric, part leather sports seats, an excellent dashboard and an eight-inch screen for most functions.
Rear legroom is excellent, the boot is a very good size and the driving position is perfect for all sizes.
The Alfa Giulia is the most sublime of cars and very near perfect.
The model I drove costs £31,500.