Alfa Giulia First Drive C&D

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FIRST DRIVE REVIEW
2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia
Truly Italian.

OCT 2016 BY TONY QUIROGA
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Italian-ness. We know it when we see it, and when we don't, it is often in a Fiat Chrysler product. When stepping into a Maserati Ghibli only to find a Chrysler touchscreen and switchgear, for instance, we get the sinking feeling that our Italian experience has just taken an Olive Garden turn. Some Fiats might just as well wear Plymouth badges or, in the case of the 124 Spider, Mazda ones.


Alfa Romeo didn't order parts for its new Giulia sedan from Chrysler's menu. If it did, the Pentastar stuff is well hidden. From what we could see, nothing inside the new Giulia's cabin is shared with a domestic Dodge, Jeep, or Chrysler. The infotainment system is the Giulia's own, and although the switchgear has a generic European look and some of the plastics are from the hard-and-cheap bin, everything inside appears to be Giulia specific. Italian-ness inside is good, but what's even better is that the engines are made and designed in Italy.

VIEW PHOTOS

Alfa Romeo is offering U.S. customers two engines when the car goes on sale early next year. We're told a few 505-hp Giulia Quadrifoglios might be sold before the end of the year to some lucky early adopters (FCA actually reported seven of the cars sold in September). The 505-hp engine is a 2.9-liter twin-turbocharged V-6. Derived from the Ferrari California T's 3.9-liter V-8, the Alfa engine is odd in that it's a 90-degree V-6 without a balance shaft to quell vibration created by the inherently unbalanced configuration. Alfa Romeo engineers tell us they wanted the slightly raucous sound produced by the 90-degree six. Its voice is a bit hoarse and snarly, but it doesn't have to rely on piped-in noise to fill the cabin with engine sounds. I'm not supposed to review that version—you can read our full review of that one here—but it's hard to resist talking about the Quadrifoglio; it's that good. [Bad Quiroga. Get back to the slower Giulias—Ed.]

Turbo Four: All New and Filled with Spirit

The four-cylinder Giulia has a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine, and it will sell in far greater numbers than the Quadrifoglio. Alfa tells us that the 2.0-liter is all new and made in Italy. We find it curious that this aluminum-block-and-head 16-valve engine has only one camshaft, utilizing the crafty MultiAir variable-valve-lift system, but it makes 280 horsepower and 306 lb-ft of torque. It will come to the States paired only with an eight-speed automatic transmission. Automatics are the norm for this segment, but an Alfa Romeo shouldn't be normal. A stick-shift version would be consistent with the brand and, you know, Save the Manuals! and all.

Even after a drive in the Quadrifoglio, the 2.0-liter radiates spirit. While Alfa's engine lacks the smooth and rev-happy character of the four-cylinder turbos from Audi or BMW, this one sounds grittier and angrier and provides good thrust. A twin-scroll turbo works to minimize lag, and Alfa claims a zero-to-60-mph time of 5.1 seconds with the standard rear-wheel drive and optional all-wheel drive alike. The latter is denoted by a Q4 badge that, in one example of possible parts sharing, looks an awful lot like the one that Maserati sticks to the back of its Ghibli.

VIEW PHOTOS

What really sets the Alfa Romeo apart from the competition is its steering. A quick, 11.8:1-ratio rack translates to 2.3 turns lock-to-lock, and even better than the responsiveness is the intuitive feedback and road feel. Ride quality is excellent on the optional 18-inch wheels, and the structure is as solid as any in the segment. Alive and graced with some of the rawness of the 4C sports car, the Giulia steers with a precision and purity that BMW has retreated from and Audi and Mercedes-Benz have yet to figure out. In the Giulia's segment, the Cadillac ATS's steering comes closest.

Trimmed and Packaged

Unfortunately, Cadillac's ATS seems to have been the bogey in rear-seat space. Next to the BMW 3-series and the Audi A4, the Alfa's back seat lacks legroom. Front-seat occupants enjoy more space, and a relatively low cowl provides a clear view ahead. We found the front seats in four-cylinder models to be overly firm, and the seat bottom is way too short for proper thigh support. Trunk space appears to be in line with the competition, but the opening is so small that loading and unloading suitcases is akin to playing Operation.

Alfa Romeo hasn't announced pricing, but we're expecting the base Giulia to start at just under $40,000 with a fully loaded all-wheel-drive edition cresting $50,000. Base versions come well equipped with leather seats, bixenon headlights, LED taillights, dual exhaust, two-zone automatic climate control, four-piston front calipers, a six-way power driver's seat, parking sensors, a rearview camera, and a proximity key with push-button start. Moving up to the Ti trim level adds heated front seats, a larger (8.8-inch) touchscreen, wood dashboard trim, and 18-inch wheels.

While the differences between the base Giulia and the Ti are minor, opting for the Ti allows for the addition of the Lusso package, which brings softer leather seats, different wood trim, and Lusso-specific 18-inch wheels. What we found more compelling was the available Sport package; it gives both the base Giulia and the Giulia Ti the exterior appearance of the Quadrifoglio model. Ti versions with the Sport package also get Quadrifoglio-style upgrades to the interior and offer an optional limited-slip differential and three-mode adaptive dampers.

We didn't have much more than an hour or so with the four-cylinder Giulia, but in that short amount of time, it made us believe that it will be a compelling choice in its segment. Buying a first-year Italian car built in a new plant does sound like a gamble considering Alfa's on-again, off-again history and the brand's reputation for poor quality here in the States. We hope the Giulia's bona fide Italianate experience won't extend to owners becoming overly familiar with the espresso machine in the dealer's service department. But at least the Giulia, unlike the Maserati Ghibli and the Fiat 124 Spider, has prescription-strength Italian-ness right where you want it: at your fingertips and under the hood.

[giant_mtb]

Those are good lookin' cars.

[12,000 RPM]

Yea, first impressions seem pretty good too. Shame about the rear legroom

[Eye of the Tiger]

Yea, first impressions seem pretty good too. Shame about the rear legroom

The Nissan Versa has more rear legroom, and a manual transmission. I guess the Versa wins the compsrison test.

[12,000 RPM]

I'm struggling to counter that.... you may very well be right.

[Payman]

No manual with the 2.0T???

Dismissed.

[12,000 RPM]

4 cylinders are for poor people

[Payman]

http://jalopnik.com/the-alfa-romeo-giulia-will-not-get-a-manual-in-america-1788324279

Stupid stupid stupid fuck a duck fistfucking stupid. Second massive letdown this year from an Italian marque, after the 124 Spider/Abarth.

[12,000 RPM]

The manual in the Quadrofoglio sucked anyway. Not missing much

[Payman]

The manual in the Quadrofoglio sucked anyway. Not missing much

You drove one?

[Eye of the Tiger]

I'm struggling to counter that.... you may very well be right.

LoLogic ftw

[2o6]

I don't think Alfa Romeo or FCA has a RWD manual that mates up to any of those engines.


The manual cars overseas are diesel-only (and QV)

[12,000 RPM]

You drove one?

No, but ever review I've read of one said the relaxed ass ZF8 was the better box.

If reviews saying the Fiata was a let down they're valid here too.

[Cookie Monster]

I like the ATS-V more.

[cawimmer430]

The Nissan Versa has more rear legroom, and a manual transmission. I guess the Versa wins the compsrison test.

Plus it drives better in the snow! Versa > Alfa Romeo Giulia. Duh!

[2o6]

This car is going to flop.

[Payman]

This car is going to flop.

Yup.

[12,000 RPM]

This car is going to flop.

How come you get to say that about this, but I get shit for saying the same about the ATS/CTS (which did flop BTW GM fanboi )

More importantly why do you think it will flop?

[Payman]

It was never going to be a top seller, but it's one appeal (besides styling), was the whole Italian passion thing. By not offering a manual because "people aren't buying them" shows FCA and Alfa are run by morons. The people attracted to this car want a stick, and I think they killed their sales with this idiotic decision. NOBODY is going to buy an automatic Alfa Romeo.

[MX793]

It was never going to be a top seller, but it's one appeal (besides styling), was the whole Italian passion thing. By not offering a manual because "people aren't buying them" shows FCA and Alfa are run by morons. The people attracted to this car want a stick, and I think they killed their sales with this idiotic decision. NOBODY is going to buy an automatic Alfa Romeo.

The same was said about Ferraris, and here we are roughly 5 years since Ferrari stopped offering manual transmissions because, once they started offering autos, nobody bought the manuals.

[giant_mtb]

I don't think many people outside of the car community know a thing about "Italian passion."

They might associate Ferrari with Italy but that's about it.

[2o6]

How come you get to say that about this, but I get shit for saying the same about the ATS/CTS (which did flop BTW GM fanboi )

More importantly why do you think it will flop?

You said the ATS/CTS would flop because Cadillac needed to make FWD boats on an old platform.

The ATS flopped because although it drives well it's too tight inside and the interior design is mediocre. Also Cadillac markets themselves badly. And the basic engines are whack.


This is going to flop, because

- What Alfa Dealer?

- No manual (granted, Manuals are like 10% if that of buying, but the option of one adds to the sporting character)

- design is not a stand out, that interior looks like a F30, but not assembled as well



This and the Jaguar XE are going to be total flops.

The same was said about Ferraris, and here we are roughly 5 years since Ferrari stopped offering manual transmissions because, once they started offering autos, nobody bought the manuals.

BMW still moves a fair amount of Manual cars in the F30 line.

It was never going to be a top seller, but it's one appeal (besides styling), was the whole Italian passion thing. By not offering a manual because "people aren't buying them" shows FCA and Alfa are run by morons. The people attracted to this car want a stick, and I think they killed their sales with this idiotic decision. NOBODY is going to buy an automatic Alfa Romeo.

Especially since I was dropped all of a sudden....and not even available in the sporty trim.

[12,000 RPM]

It was never going to be a top seller, but it's one appeal (besides styling), was the whole Italian passion thing. By not offering a manual because "people aren't buying them" shows FCA and Alfa are run by morons. The people attracted to this car want a stick, and I think they killed their sales with this idiotic decision. NOBODY is going to buy an automatic Alfa Romeo.

Like MX793 said people buy plenty of automatic Italian cars

More to the point as Maserati shows people are happy to buy Italian sedans. Being able to say "I drive an ALfa RoMEo GIUlia" has more value for people in this segment than driving dynamics and stickshift transmissions.

You said the ATS/CTS would flop because Cadillac needed to make FWD boats on an old platform.

The ATS flopped because although it drives well it's too tight inside and the interior design is mediocre. Also Cadillac markets themselves badly. And the basic engines are whack.

I stand by my statement. The MKZ outsells the ATS & CTS, even with Cadillac dumping the wack ass 2.5L nobody bought anyway. Building off the Epsilon II would ensure class appropriate rear seat room, and a design objective worth a damn would ensure good interior AND exterior design, which is about all that differentiates luxury cars these days. And a heavy focus on hybrid/plug in tech would appeal to people who want to flout their environmental superiority without enduring the terrible design, performance and driving dynamics of a Prius.

This is going to flop, because

- What Alfa Dealer?

- No manual (granted, Manuals are like 10% if that of buying, but the option of one adds to the sporting character)

- design is not a stand out, that interior looks like a F30, but not assembled as well

This and the Jaguar XE are going to be total flops.

I tend to agree, though I will say that a big part of it is also timing. It's way too late to get into this segment. Jag should have offered something serious with the X-type.... RWD chassis and all. Cadillac should have brought out the ATS with the 2nd gen CTS. Alfa, like any FCA brand not named Jeep, is doomed on principle. God bless them

[2o6]

OH MY GOD FOR THE LAST TIME EPSILON II IS NOT THAT DYNAMIC LIKE MQB OR MLB.

[cawimmer430]

Autoblog also just reviewed it. 


It's finally here! | 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia First Drive



There's been an Alfa Romeo Giulia-shaped hole waiting to be filled in the American car market for what feels like forever. A couple years ago, Alfa rejoined the US car party with the flawed but hugely entertaining 4C, reigniting passions after a decades-long absence but leading to little in the way of sales volume. That single offering acted only as a tease for those wanting a properly practical, five-person sports sedan. After a true-to-Italy leisurely wait, the Giulia has arrived.

The 2017 Alfa Romeo Giulia puts some practical meat on the bone for American drivers bored of the usual Audi A4/Mercedes C-Class/BMW 3 Series suspects. Even better, the new Italian-made sedan comes packed with some heavy artillery, the top Quadrifoglio model offering 505 horsepower and returning a 3.8-second 0–60 mph run as well as a shockingly quick Nürburgring Nordschleife time of 7:32 – which, for the record, makes it the fastest four-passenger production car around the 12.9-mile circuit. For context, that's six seconds quicker than a Lamborghini Gallardo LP570-4 Superleggera, and a full 20 seconds faster than a BMW M4.

Our first taste of the highly anticipated Giulia brought us to Sonoma Raceway and some local roads nearby in California's wine country. As we approach the pack of cars warming in pit lane, there is further evidence that the Giulia Quadrifoglio is serious: its Ferrari-derived 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 sounds snarly and sweet, and cars passing on track report raspy exhaust coughs between shifts.

When you go to get in, there's a slight chance of bumping your head on the low-slung roof – wouldn't be an Italian car without an ergonomic quirk, right? The test car appears to be equipped with a full gamut of options: leather across the dash, carbon-fiber trim breaking up the bovine bits, an Alcantara- and leather-covered steering wheel, and the standard eight-speed automatic (the only transmission option for US-market Giulias). This is a distinctly Italian execution, with unique details like green and white top-stitching. But there are also splashes of conventional design throughout, including the analog tach and speedo with a multifunction screen positioned between them, and a steering wheel flanked by tall aluminum shift paddles that are attached to the column and remain stationary. A center console-mounted dial selects the drive modes (D for Dynamic, N for Natural, A for Advanced Efficiency, and Race), and a button in its center lets you choose suspension stiffness. Only a few details disappoint, like the hard plastic on the inside of the center console, plasticky bits on the shifter, and a somewhat loosey-goosey feel to the control wheel used to navigate the multimedia menus.

Press the red engine-start button on the steering wheel, and the pleasing thrum of the twin-turbocharged mill comes without any artificial enhancement (thank you, Ferrari). You'll need to pull the shifter down to choose first gear (tapping the paddles does nothing while the car is in Park), but once moving, the Giulia feels every bit like a sports car first and a sedan second. With a steering ratio of 11.8:1 – which, Alfa says, is the quickest in the industry – the Giulia turns instantly, the Pirelli PZeros digging into pavement and changing the car's direction with slot car-like directness. The chassis is quite a bit stiffer than those of the competition – think M3, C63, and ATS-V – appealing to a smaller but more fervent cross-section of the enthusiast population. And although the Giulia lacks a carbon-fiber chassis like the 4C's, but there is no shortage of sharpness in the full-tilt Quadrifoglio model: The relationship between steering and body is highly direct, responsive, and intuitive, and the excellent steering feel builds a confident dynamic between driver input and vehicle response.

However, the driving conditions were less than confidence-inspiring. With steady rainfall, 505 hp, ultra-high-performance Pirellis with a treadwear rating of 60, and standing water on stretches of the track, it's no wonder the Giulia's tail has a habit of stepping out on medium throttle. The low-end torque isn't exactly thunderous – this is, after all, an aggressively tuned small-displacement engine that produces a staggering 174 horsepower per liter – but longer stretches of tarmac reveal the engine's true peaky behavior. It pulls strongly through the last 3,000 rpm or so until hitting the hard rev limiter at around 7,200 rpm.

The entry-level Giulia and Giulia Ti, both of which use a 280-hp 2.0-liter four, are available with all-wheel drive. The Quadrifoglio is rear-drive only and uses a torque-vectoring differential that helps a little when traction is limited. We were strongly discouraged from engaging Race mode due to the conditions, as it defeats stability control, but even in the second most aggressive mode, "A," there wasn't much opportunity to gauge what performance would be like in the dry. Based on how the rear end steps out and is quickly, almost stiflingly recovered by traction control, it's evident that it would take a bit of skill to coax a good lap time under dry conditions. Then again, Race mode might be brilliant enough to allow suitable yaw angle without putting a damper on forward motion; given Alfa's restrictions on the track drive, we'll have to reserve judgment until we score more seat time. Either way, the car takes skill. One thing that stands out on the track: the optional carbon-ceramic brakes have tremendous bite and excellent stopping power, which enables surprisingly late braking on the damp surface.

If the rain-drenched track excursion uncovered only a fraction of the Quadrifoglio's performance capabilities, the road drive revealed even less. As you might expect in such a tightly wound sports sedan, potholes and surface irregularities can be jarring, even in the softer suspension settings. Between exhaust note, throttle response, and steering effort, there's quite a bit of variability between the three main driving modes, and we found the middle setting with the suspension at its softest best suited for most roads. The preternaturally quick steering demands attention (and careful corrections), but the hyper-responsiveness can become an acquired taste that encourages more driver involvement and, ultimately, more enjoyment from the act of carving up a canyon. Interestingly, the brake-by-wire system is linked to the drive modes, offering stiffer pedal feel in the two most aggressive settings – so much so that you might need to think ahead while parking, since it takes extra effort to stop from a low-speed creep.

The eight-speed transmission shifts reasonably well in automatic mode, though shifts get jerkier when the big aluminum paddles are tapped (Alfa brass says this was a tuning choice, in order to add a feeling of responsiveness). Shifts take around 100 milliseconds in best-case scenarios – not quite industry-leading, but certainly made up for by the Quadrifoglio's generous 443 pound-feet of torque, which peaks between 2,500 and 5,000 rpm. Techier than the transmission is an electrically actuated front lip spoiler, which extends at speeds above 75 mph to deliver more than 200 pounds of extra downforce on the nose. The car feels extremely planted in the high-speed sections, so it seems to do its job.

We also took a brief street drive in a 280-hp Giulia Ti with Q4 all-wheel drive. The car was optioned with the Lusso package, giving it an attractive if more conventionally outfitted interior with light walnut trim and pale beige leather. The Ti's 18-inch wheels provide a far less punishing ride than the Quadrifoglio's 19s, but the more accessible model's main distinction primarily lies in its dramatically more usable powerband. Thanks to the more well-rounded tire compound and all-wheel-drive system, traction control is almost never triggered, allowing you to drive more aggressively and extract strong acceleration from the four-cylinder turbo engine. Alfa estimates a 0–60 mph time of under 5.1 seconds, and in the real world (i.e., wet, bumpy roads), that translates to progressive acceleration under medium throttle, and satisfyingly strong pull when you goose it. It lacked the soul-stirring engine sounds and ultra-high-performance feelings inspired by the top dog Quadrifoglio model, though.

The Alfa Romeo Giulia has been eagerly awaited because it is such a dramatically different sports sedan proposition compared to the hot-rodded offerings from Audi Quattro, BMW M, and Mercedes-AMG. Sure, it has usable rear seats and a trunk just like its competitors, but the full-blown Quadrifoglio version departs from the formula with its ultra-quick steering, focus on handling, and brappy engine. And yes, arriving late to the party has also enabled the feisty Italians to tune their mill so it's the gruntiest of the litter, barely edging out the AMG C63S's by a mere two horsepower. It may not be the most evolved, refined, or polished entry in this field, but the Alfa Romeo Giulia is perhaps the most entertaining and driver-centric of the bunch, making it well worth the wait for those who hope to stand apart from the crowd.

This article has been updated to clarify US-market transmission offerings.



Link: http://www.autoblog.com/2016/10/28/2017-alfa-romeo-giulia-first-drive-review/

[MX793]

BMW still moves a fair amount of Manual cars in the F30 line.

And BMW is pretty much the only one who still offers M/Ts.  The only Audi you can get with a stick these days is the FWD A3 (and probably for not much longer) because "nobody buys them".  Infiniti dropped the MT option on the G/Q60, which was their last MT car because nobody bought them.  Acura purged their lineup of manual gearboxes.  The last Lexus with a stick was the unloved IS250 of a generation ago.  M-B has never offered many M/Ts (at least in the US) and currently offers none.

Also, the math isn't always about the raw number of sales, but the percentage.  When VW added the DSG option to the previously 3-pedal-only GTI, the take rate for the stick dropped immediately to 50%.  The reality was that they sold just as many MT GTIs as the previous year, but they had brought in a bunch more GTI customers by offering the automatic, thereby doubling GTI sales.  If the car continued to grow in popularity, and all of new converts opt for the automatic, the take rate of the MT continues to fall even though the number actually sold doesn't.  At some point, it doesn't make business sense, in the eyes of bean counters, to continue carrying the MT because it's too small a percentage of sales and it gets dropped.

[12,000 RPM]

OH MY GOD FOR THE LAST TIME EPSILON II IS NOT THAT DYNAMIC LIKE MQB OR MLB.

Doesnt have to be.... Lexus ES and Acura TLX outsell the A4 handily. I said it a million times, $40-50K luxury car market doesn't give a shit about dynamics; if they did the ATS wouldn't have tanked. Epsilon II is more than good enough... just look at the Lacrosse :)

A better looking SWB/LWB XTS plug in hybrid is the only way forward for Caddy. Put a hatch on it and call it the Seville :)

[2o6]

^^^


That's the Buick LaCrosse.

[12,000 RPM]

They should make a midsize version of it for Caddy. Only way forward

[2o6]

That's the Buick Regal.