By Paul Gover.
It’s been a couple of years since I first drove the Alfa Romeo Giulia and, with an update now in showrooms, it seemed like the right time to go again.
A week with the Giulia would also help to break the endless line of SUVs and utes that has been driving through my test-car garage in recent times.
My original experience was agony and ecstasy, as the Giulia QV with turbocharged V6 engine hit all the traditional high notes of an Alfa sports sedan.
It’s a car to challenge the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63, with a rampaging power-plant, taut chassis and wonderful styling.
But it was also grumpy, massively underdone in the infotainment system, and bolts fell out of the driver’s seat. Humbug.
Now I’m in the Giulia Veloce, the mid-level model with a milder 2-litre turbo engine, and the experience is very different.
This car is still stylish and has – thankfully – a much bigger and brighter infotainment package. Nothing is rattling or threatening to leave the scene.
But it’s an altogether more refined package.
It still gets along smartly, the suspension is well controlled and the brakes are great, and it has all the styling and interior trim flourishes that I expect of an Alfa.
The Veloce is proof that you don’t have to go all-in, or all-out, to enjoy the Giulia.
These days there are three models in the line-up, starting at $63,950 for the Sport with 147 kiloWatts of power, rising through the Veloce at $71,450 with 206 kiloWatts, and trumping at the Quadrifoglio at $138,950 with 375 kiloWatts.
So, is the QV worth nearly twice as much? Not for me.
I have clear memories of the rampaging soundtrack, the wonderful response from the turbo V6, and the hip-hugger sports seats. But it’s tough to get the best from the QV in 2021.
In contrast, the Veloce is smart enough for overtaking and twisty roads without going crazy, the fuel economy – around 7 litres/100km during my test – is good, and the overall package is well balanced and enjoyable.
It’s well clear of Camry-style boring, which is probably being tough on the latest four-door Toyota, and every response is taut and instant.
The Giulia is a car that brings the joy of motoring, without breaking the bank or threatening your license.
It’s old-school rear-drive, which means sharp steering, great grip in corners, and the feeling that only comes as the rear end hunkers down to drive you out of a corner.
Alfa has done a vastly better job on the infotainment package, which finally has a reasonably-sized screen, and has considerably boosted the value on the car while also slightly reducing the price.
There are no changes to the styling, which is a stand-out on today’s blandoid roads, and little things like the alloy wheels really give it a lift.
The seats are supportive and comfortable, the headlights are great, it’s nicely quiet in the cabin, and there is enough back-seat space and boot room for a family with young children.
I’m not a fan of the optional panoramic sunroof in my test car, which creates a summer sauna, but there is little ease to complain about.
For the record, I’m not one of the Alfisti – committed fans of Alfa – who can excuse or overlook the faults in anything with an Alfa badge.
I can still remember clearly the day when I was washing an Alfa GTV6 and the badge on the back came away as I was rubbing with a soapy sponge.
“Keep it. A wonderful souvenir,” said the Alfa PR boss, who now works with Ferrari in Formula One, when I told him what had happened.
There are no souvenirs this time but the Giulia Veloce has created a new set of Alfa memories, and proved that old-fashioned driving enjoyment is still front-and-centre in 2021 if you pick the right car.
ALFA ROMEO GIULIA VELOCE
Position: mid-sized prestige sedan
Price: from $71,450
Engine: 2-litre turbo petrol
Power: 206kW/400Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic, rear-wheel drive
Safety: 5-star ANCAP
Plus: all-round enjoyment
Minus: not much
THE TICK:
Score: 9/10
