TRICKY ROADS ...
… for any vehicle challenging the German midsize executive sedans. Does the Alfa Romeo Giulia have the full skill set to navigate them?
ALFA Romeo still suffers something of a divisive reputation in our market. On the one side are those with a fierce emotional attachment to the badge; often old faithfuls who’ve been driving Alfas since the glory days of the GTV6 or Giulietta 2,0. Then there’s everyone else. They’re wary of Alfa Romeo’s perceived unreliability and alleged high cost of ownership, especially with the heavy depreciation once driven off the showroom floor.
These were arguments brought up practically every time our white Alfa Romeo Giulia Super was the subject of discussion among friends and peers. The Giulia’s monthly sales figures certainly back up the market’s apprehension and, even in a good month, the Giulia is unlikely to reach double figures; this pales in comparison to the several hundred of its biggest competitor, the BMW 3 Series.
Having spent some time with the Giulia, however, I can confidently say its sales stats are unjustified. The Giulia gets a lot right when it comes to the midsize executive-sedan segment. They’re points which we highlighted in our May 2017 comparative test, where it lost out to the Audi A4 2,0T FSI S tronic by the narrowest of margins. That the Giulia is a chic and engaging driver’s car has never been in question, but what our long-term test would answer was whether or not the Giulia would be reliable, offer affordable running costs and maintain its value once placed on the road, effectively proving its naysayers wrong.
As far as reliability was concerned, there weren’t any negatives other than a set of problematic parking sensors that two service centres had trouble fixing. As mentioned in a previous update, the car’s front parking sensors had an annoying habit of frantically signalling an obstacle near the bumper’s nose, when in reality there was nothing there. We tried cleaning the sensors and adjusting the number plate but it was clear there was a fault with the system. It was something we resolved to
flag at the Giulia’s first service.
Said 15 000 km service was done at the Fiat Chrysler Automobiles dealership at Century City, not far from our offices. Somewhat frustratingly, I had to wait two weeks for an appointment but once there was greeted by a friendly team that provided thorough communication, swift service and transportation back to the office. When I addressed the parking sensor issue, however, the agents told me that it was an inherent design fault that could not be fixed and the best course of action would be to simply turn off the sensors. Not the answer someone might want to hear after spending nearly R700k on a car.
Puzzlingly, a few weeks later, we received an email from a happy Giulia owner who informed us that his car’s parking sensors were, in fact, fixed after a software update was installed. An enquiry to our service agent confirmed our car had also been given the same software update but, for some reason, it didn’t resolve the issue. For an existing Mercedes-benz, BMW, or Audi owner considering a Giulia as a new car, this would likely be a deal breaker. There was, however, a better service story to tell when the Giulia made an unscheduled service centre visit after a road trip to Port Elizabeth…
Throughout this journey, the turbocharged 2,0-litre four-cylinder engine proved its worth. On a daily basis, it managed an average fuel consumption of around 10,0 L/100 km after spending much of its driving time in traffic. Given a chance to stretch its legs on that 1 500 km round trip to Port Elizabeth – with the standard-fit adaptive cruise control set to 120 km/h – the Giulia returned an average consumption of 7,0 L/100 km, completing the 750 km journey to the Windy City on a single tank with some fuel to spare. This was made even more impressive by the fact that the car was loaded with four people plus luggage.
While the cruise control itself did make the trip less of a chore, the system is not quite as intuitive as those in its competitors. The adaptive setup appears to operate in a narrow forward band, only registering vehicles in front of the Giulia. Anyone changing lanes ahead of me therefore required the intervention of my right foot to slow the Giulia. As a long-distance traveller, however, the Giulia is excellent thanks to a plush ride – surely the best in this segment – excellent refinement and generous space all-round.
While the Giulia’s 2,0-litre engine’s 147 kw and 330 N.m of torque doesn’t quite match up to the competition – at this price point, the 185 kw BMW 330i offers a similar standard specification – thanks in part to an excellent torque-converter transmission, the Giulia does feel as engaging as the BMW. The added benefit of the DNA drivemode selector is it also changes the speed and aggression of the
gearshifts when you want to have some fun. This is further emphasised when you shift the gear selector in manual mode and use the tactile metal columnmounted paddle shifters sourced from the QV.
As alluded to earlier, the trip to Port Elizabeth was not without incident. As we entered the outskirts of the city, we drove over unsighted road debris which scraped the underneath of the chassis, ripping out a plug that manages the electric power steering, ESC and safety assists. After locating the local Alfa Romeo dealership – Tavcor Auto Sales – a phone call confirmed we could take the Giulia in the very next day. Despite putting in leave for that day, the only Giulia mechanic in Port Elizabeth came into work and did the requisite repairs in a couple of hours. That’s exactly the kind of above- and-beyond service a premiumcar owner would expect.
In terms of the cabin’s fit and finish over the past 12 months, this has been one of the Giulia’s most impressive qualities and the interior has held up impressively. The Giulia left us with 21 738 km on the odo and there were no irritating rattles or creaks. The quality of the red leather also impressed. It needed a clean to remove staining from blue jeans but once done looked great.
The cabin in general is a pleasant environment thanks to comfortable seats, a great driving position and a logical infotainment system.
TEST SUMMARY
Overall, the Giulia has been a real pleasure to drive for a year. It’s provided great insight into why Alfa Romeo fans love this brand and I can happily report, on this evidence, there’s every reason to be excited about the Italian carmaker’s future.
However, as good as the Giulia is, if you assess the current range of vehicles, the brand’s marketers will continue to have a tough time changing perceptions in this country. Next to its competitors, the Giulia can appear expensive (and the same applies to the Stelvio, another great vehicle) and, judging by the 2017 model year examples offered for sale in the pre-owned car market, this sedan appears to struggle come resale time, often losing more than R100 000 in a single year.
Getting back to those conver- sations with friends and peers: it’s clear that C-class and 3 Series owners will be sticking with their chosen Germans. Regardless of how well the Giulia drives or how many heads it turns, they sleep better knowing they’ve bought vehicles with a reputation as well-engineered executive sedans that hold their value well. That said, the Giulia is as accomplished as its German rivals and, while brand perception is a factor that can make or break a manufacturer, Renault has shown it is a stigma that can be beaten. We look forward to witnessing Alfa clawing its way back into the consciousness of South African consumers.