A SPICY MEATBALL

Italy’s Alfa Romeo, eager to take a bite out of the midsize high-performance sedan sector, serves up its saucy, track-worthy 2017 Giulia Quadrifoglio

Has the world been waiting for a relatively affordable four-door track car with luxury-level comfort? Well, it’s here. It’s the Alfa Romeo Giulia.

The latest assault on the American market by a company that hasn’t had much success getting our collective attention, it’s a bit of a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

The outside presents an anodyne sedan that — minus the company’s traditional triangular front grille piece or the four-leaf-clover badging that marks the Quadrifoglio version — could easily be mistaken for something from BMW, Audi or Mazda.

It has clean lines, four fullsize doors, plenty of glass and limited chrome adornments.

But the inside presents a very different picture. Built largely from carbon fiber, and outfitted with standard racing seats, the Giulia is a limber, lightweight rocket ship.

Under the hood is a 2.9-liter turbocharged V-6 engine that makes 505 horsepower and 443 pound-feet of torque, through a very tight eight-speed transmission.

Based on a Ferrari V-8 engine, this V-6 will push the Giulia Quadrifoglio from zero to 60 in 3.8 seconds and up to 191 mph, Alfa boasts.

The acceleration, as is the braking, is aggressive. The eight-speed transmission is snappy. The suspension is tight.

As befits a car with a base price of $73,595, the Giulia comes standard with heated leather front seats, heated steering wheel, aluminum pedals, leather dash and doors, keyless entry and start, and eight-way adjustable seats.

Very little about the interior says race car. The ride is quiet, even when the engine is working hard. Road noise is kept to a minimum by the combination of leather upholstery and a high-end Harmon Kardon sound system.

The back seats offer fair headroom and legroom, and are very comfortable. The trunk is spacious, partly because it doesn’t include a spare tire. You could stow your golf clubs or enough luggage for a week away back there.

Device plug-ins are hidden in the center console which, as a nod to the car’s racy personality, does not have proper cup holders. This is for serious driving.

Drive modes are normal, eco (but they call it Advanced Efficiency), dynamic and race.