Alfa Romeo have celebrated their 100th anniversary by introducing the Giulietta, a superb car that’s worthy of celebration itself.
If there’s going to be one car you should buy in the months to come then there’s a seriously strong argument for making that car an Alfa Romeo Giulietta, but not exactly for the reasons you might think.
Alfas have long been synonymous with super cool, super stylish sportiness. They have been among the most quintessentially Italian vehicles on the road.
Over the years, they’ve mostly been bought by people who enjoy a direct and responsive driving experience and who care about driving a good-looking car without being too flash.
In the past, Alfa drivers have been a discerning lot, but they’ve generally drawn the line at expecting a practical, reliable vehicle.
Alfas are, after all, Italian. From super fast, super expensive Ferraris and Lamborghinis right down to the noisy little scooters that are driven erratically around Rome and Milan, Italian vehicles have always been big on charm and panache while not necessarily being big on reliability.
Oh how times have changed. These days its Japanese and German cars getting recalled while Italian cars, and in particular Alfa Romeos, are enjoying something of a golden age. (We’ll ignore the recent recall of Ferraris that kept catching fire, since this particular glitch probably had more to do with God pointing out that most Ferrari drivers have too much money.)
Of late, the makers of Fiats and Alfas have stepped up to the plate and have produced cars like the Fiat 500 and the Alfa Romeo MiTo, great little cars that are put together in a built-not-to-breakdown, built-to-last kind of way, but which still have all the fun and performance you want from an Italian car.
Well the Giulietta goes one further.
100 years after the creation of the first Alfa Romeos, Alfa have created a car that proves that it is possible to look cool, drive well and also be very, very practical.
The Giulietta takes its name from the iconic sports brand of the 50s, but while having the essence of that car, the new car is definitely built for the crowded, discerning 2010 car-buying market and beyond.
It’s all been cleverly done. It’s a beautiful car that attracts your attention in the most crowded car park. The devil is in the detail, and the clusters of LED lights front and rear are a particularly smart detail – especially the rear lights which have been designed to slash their way across the boot.
It looks like the perfect coupe, but is, in fact, a five door that can comfortably accommodate five fully grown members of the JOE editorial team, and. This is thanks to the invisible back doors – the handle is concealed up next to the window.
This is not just a gimmick, it’s actually a perfectly sensible place to stick it. Plus it’s mildly entertaining to watch people who are new to the car getting confused, frustrated, and then smug (when they work things out) over the space of a couple of minutes. (You’d be advised to tell them where the handle is if you’re in a hurry).
There’s also an ample 300 litre boot, but the use of space isn’t the only practical aspect of the car. It’s been built from a combination of magnesium, aluminium and high strength steel which results in a vehicle that’s both lightweight and sturdy.
Plus, it’s very safe (the manufacturers claim it to be the safest compact ever). With an admirable overall score of 87/100, it was been awarded the prestigious Euro NCAP five-star rating.
To get a five-star rating these days a car needs to be loaded up with safety gizmos. There are six airbags, three-point seatbelts with double pre-tensioners and a nifty Self Aligning Head Restraint which, put simply, means that if you are unlucky enough to be in a collision, your headrest will automatically move forward to lessen the effect of whiplash.
Then there’s the engine. Diesels have come a long way in recent years, and there are two diesels in the new Giulietta range, but in the end you really can’t beat petrol. Happily, there’s a 1.4 litre petrol version that uses the patented MultiAir technology that debuted on the MiTo.
This technology offers the golden combination of an increase in maximum power and low-rpm torque coupled with lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions (134g/km), low enough to put you in VRT band B.
Erotic
So it looks like an Alfa, with its sharp nose, its teeny triangular grille and its cool interior. The ergonomic, ribbed, black leather seats of the top-end Veloce have a touch of the naughtily erotic about them. It’s practical, safe and not a heavy drinker.
But does it drive like an Alfa? Flick the switch to put the car into feisty, super-responsive sports mode and the answer is abso-bloomin’-lutely.
This, of course, is due to clever stuff such as brilliantly sensitive dual pinion active steering, crisp MacPherson front suspension and aluminium Multilink rear suspension that’s lightweight yet reassuringly good at helping you stick to the road, whatever the conditions. It all comes together to give you a real sense of confidence behind the wheel.
All of this is why you should buy this car – it’s got a little bit of everything you want and well as a fair smattering of the useful stuff.
I’ve been trying to think of something bad to say about this car, but the best I can come up relates to the aluminium pedals: if you get into the car wearing wet Converse shoes, your feet may slip. But that’s about it (and this problem is resolved by not wearing Converse on a wet day).
The days of multi-car ownership is, for the vast majority of us, a thing of the past. So if you want a practical car that can also double as a fun weekend car, then with the Giulietta you’ve hit the jackpot.
The lowdown
Model tested: Alfa Romeo Giulietta 1.4 MultiAir TB 170 bhp Veloce
Cost: €28,695 (base model, on the road)
Top speed: 217km/h
0-100km/h: 7.8 sec
Fuel economy (Combined): 6.9 litres/100km
CO2 emissions: 134g/km
VRT band: B
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