2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia delivers big wish list
With Andrea Bocelli singing Turandot, Alfa Romeo ushered in what Fiat-Chrysler chief executive Sergio Marchionne called a “rebirth” of a brand that has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs. In all my years, I have never witnessed a more emotional car launch; they spoke not about metal, carbon-fibre or a twin-turbocharged V-6 engine, but of love and the emotion of the people deep down in what Alfa Romeo calls its “Skunk Works” group.
The name Skunk Works was originally given to a group of engineers at Lockheed who were given 150 days to design and develop a new product. The group came in seven days ahead of schedule with the XP-80 Shooting Star, the first U.S. air force fighter jet. As it was with those folks, so it was with the team at Alfa Romeo: Build it, build it right and set a new benchmark for the segment.
The timing of the launch of the Giulia has particular significance, as it arrives 105 years after Alfa Romeo was established on June 24, 1910. The new thrust is all about “the mechanics of emotion” as the Giulia will compete in a segment full of “clones,” as Alfa Romeo describes it. Yes, some are elegant and some are sporty, but they are “cold and technocratic” and Alfa did not want to make just another car — it wanted to create a driving masterpiece.
And create one they did. The exhaust tone when the Giulia was revved up onstage, after maestro Bocelli had finished his sweet siren, was beguiling, to say the least.
The premise for the new car was based on five things: It had to be cutting-edge and technically savvy, feature new engines, have a classleading power-to-weight ratio, 5050 weight distribution and, most importantly, arrive with the flair and élan for which the brand is so rightly famed.
The reveal proved that those Skunk guys nailed pretty much every one of those targets. The numbers say it all: 510 horsepower from a twin-turbocharged V-6 based on a Maserati engine, a power-to-weight ratio that comes in at under three kilograms per stallion, and the zero-to-100 km/h run gets done in 3.9 seconds. Along with a state-of-the-art suspension comes a full-on torque-vectoring system with two clutch packs that can send the power to the rear wheel with the best traction and it speeds up the turn-in afforded by what Alfa promises is the most direct steering setup available.
Technically, there is an active front splitter that changes position to ensure the best downforce and a “DNA” drive selector that allows the driver to choose between Advanced Efficiency, Natural and Dynamic modes. The top model also features a Race mode.
The chassis is a blend of car- bon fibre in the hood, roof, seat frames and driveshaft; aluminum throughout the engine, brakes, suspension, doors and fenders; and a hybrid aluminum composite/plastic rear subframe. In spite of the weight savings, Alfa says the body has the torsional rigidity to deliver the desired handling and ride qualities, as well as provide reduced noise levels for the riders.
The cabin is all about elegant simplicity. There are but two key controls, one for the drive modes and a second for the infotainment system. The rest is made of wood, leather and carbon fibre. The design has a decidedly hedonistic appeal that underscores a look that’s best described as living poetry.
The Giulia is the first of what Marchionne said will be seven models that are the result of a US$6.91-billion investment in the brand. The others? No word for now, but with Maserati getting a Jeep Grand Cherokee-based crossover, it’s not difficult to imagine something along those lines for Alfa Romeo.
The Giulia is set to tackle the likes of Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class. There’s no word yet on a release date, model derivatives or pricing.