Alfa Romeo’s Giulia: Italian good looks and lashings of technology

by Jonathan M. Gitlin

Meet the Giulia—Alfa Romeo's credible return to the US small luxury sedan segment. Video shot and edited by Jennifer Hahn.

Was it Top Gear that issued an edict saying one could only be a real car enthusiast if they'd owned an Alfa Romeo? That would have disqualified most Americans from earning that title for many years; Alfa Romeo pulled out of the US market in the mid-'90s. But this summer, the brand returns to these shores with the arrival of the Giulia sedan.

We saw the fire-breathing Giulia Quadrifoglio—which now holds a Nürburbring lap record for four-door production cars—last November in Los Angeles. And the $75,000, 505hp (377kW) M3 beater was present and correct at the Javits Center in a rather fetching white as well as the traditional Alfa Romeo red. The twin turbo 2.9L V6 is indeed exciting, but the less powerful versions—the Giulia and Giulia TS—are arguably the more important cars for the Italian OEM.

The Giulia is available in either rear- or all-wheel drive (Q4 in Alfa-lingo), with a 276hp (206kW) turbocharged 2.0L direct injection engine and ZF's excellent eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine also gets Fiat's clever electrohydraulic "MultiAir" intake valves, meaning its brains make up for the lack of any traditional Alfa Romeo engine noises that are necessarily muted by the turbocharger.

The interior is as compelling. There's actual wood, with a slightly rough finish that's a treat to touch. The shift paddles are mounted to the steering column, not the wheel—probably a good thing given the Giulia's extremely quick steering ratio. And they're diecast aluminum, not plastic—other manufacturers take note!

Jonathan Gitlin

The Giulia is Alfa's answer to a 3 Series, C-Class, or A4.

1. 
   Jonathan Gitlin

   The Giulia is Alfa's answer to a 3 Series, C-Class, or A4.
   
2. 
   Jonathan Gitlin

   The interior is great. We particularly like the wood panels and the diecast shift paddles.
   
3. 
   Jonathan Gitlin

   Some people think that the front is a little too evil-looking.
   
4. 
   Jonathan Gitlin

   The Giulia's proportions are spot-on.
   
5. 
   Jonathan Gitlin

   The Alfa Romeo Tipo 33 Stradale returned to New York this year.
   

We're aching to get to know the Giulia on the road—not just the Quadrifoglio (although obviously we do), but also the more sober versions. US production starts this summer, according to Alfa Romeo, and prices start around $40,000. Now even Americans can be real Top Gear-approved car enthusiasts once more.

Listing image by Jonathan Gitlin