Hitting the nostalgic note
I grew up as a petrolhead. My father sold second-hand cars for quite a while, and as a result, I saw a new car maybe every week. I knew my car brands before I knew my ABCs or my 123s, which probably explains my poor grades. With that being said, one of the first cars that really resonated with me was an Alfa Romeo, a 156, to be exact.
I remember just looking at this car and finding it attractive and weird. I remember my father being cross with it because he was a used car salesman and any Alfa Romeo is a hard sell. Still, I just couldn’t understand how it could be. It was just brilliant, and for a long time, it was one of my favourite cars, and Alfa became one of my favourite brands. I even remember James May testing the replacement for the 156, the 159, on Top Gear and how he stated that no Alfa Romeo is bad, despite the bad qualities. Any Alfa is filled with passion and soul, something which is kind of absent from you dull, by comparison, Audi’s and BMW’s. The Alfa Romeo was the first car brand that made me realise how unique cars are; That they’re more than just steel, wires, an engine and wheels. Alfa’s are something special, So You can just imagine how thrilled I was to drive my first Alfa, the spiritual successor of the as for mentioned 156 and 159, the beautifully named Giulia.
Styling and Interior
Styling is obviously a subjective matter. But there is no arguing that the Alfa Romeo Giulia makes a statement. It’s a beautiful thing to look at. As I mentioned, I’m a fan of this car’s predecessor, the 159 and the Giulia feels like a more modern 159. I think that’s a big reason why I enjoyed looking at as much as I did. It tickled my nostalgia bone, and I felt like James May testing the 159.
The Front end is stunning. The Grille catches your eye immediately. Like every Alfa before it, the Giulia dons the historic Scudetto “trefoil” grille. It acts as the centrepiece for the front end. It channels your attention to the aggressive headlights, parallel with the functional vents beneath it. The front end is brilliant, and it just gets better and better as you move to the rear. The Giulia sits on beautiful five-hole flower-like wheels which draws your attention to the iconic Alfa Romeo Logo. My Favourite angle, however, is the rear of the Giulia. It’s kind of similar to the classic 159 in its simplicity. The main design feature isn’t something like an exhaust outlet or a massive taillight. It’s the actual silhouette of the vehicle and its shape. The rear fenders feel a bit wider and lower than their Germanic counterparts, and it sits perfectly over those beautifully designed wheels. The exterior of this vehicle is just beautiful, and it perfectly balances elegance and aggression. And as a result, during its test, it gathered a lot of attention because of how special it looked, and you feel special driving it.
The interior, however, is a bit underwhelming when comparing it to the exterior. It felt soulless. For example, the exterior is similar to the likes of a BMW 3 series. But the interior feels really familiar, which isn’t a bad thing. Don’t be mistaken, it is still a nice and well-refined interior. It just lacks a bit of drama and Italian flair, which is so evident with the exterior.
But nonetheless, it’s still a pretty interior. It is drenched in leather with a few chrome accents. The emblem on the steering wheel is the familiar dragon and cross, but it’s blacked out, which makes it feel slick and modern. Apart from looking great, the steering wheel is also functional, allowing you to control the infotainment system, and it even features the stop/start button. An analogue instrument cluster is behind the steering wheel with a central digital display. This might feel a bit outdated especially compared to other vehicles in its class. Still, I enjoyed looking at the analogue cluster and seeing the needle rush through the rev counter, all the well consulting your centre digital display for some valuable information such as fuel consumption, speed, and all the information for the active safety features. In Addition, Alfa Romeo has also updated the Giulia’s infotainment system with more computing power and updated software. The infotainment system also has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Giulia’s interior also features climate control, a charging pad for your phone, heated seats for all four passengers, and a sunroof, which is an excellent addition. With regards to space, there is space for four adults, but the rear will be pretty cramped for the average-sized adult. As for boot space, there is plenty, and I’m glad to report my golf clubs fit comfortably in the boot of the Giulia.
Driving Impressions and Performance
The best part of the Alfa Romeo Giulia is its driving position. Normally I hate sitting low in a car and like being upright, but in the Giulia, that just feels wrong. You should sit low and close to the tar. At this driving position, the suspension and the wheels are just at your fingertips. You are totally in control. The Giulia also offers the DNA switch, which allows you to decide its handling and performance characteristics. “D” dynamic beings its sporty attack-minded mode and “A” average is the more eco-minded mode and “N” natural which does duty for everyday driving. I had the opportunity to drive the Giulia to Potchefstroom from the East Rand, Johannesburg and back, a trip I regularly make for my sister, a student there. I usually loath making the drive, but this was not the case this time. I absolutely loved every single second. The Adaptive cruise control and lane-keep assist give you good peace of mind and make driving long distances effortless. However, the stand-out was the combination of the 2.0 Litre turbocharged four-cylinder and the silky smooth ZF-sourced torque converter Automatic gearbox. The 2.0-litre Four-cylinder has an impressive power output of 206kW and 400Nm of torque on a body that tips the scales at only 1436 kg. Combining the lightweight body and powerful engine means that the Giulia is quick. It can achieve 0-100 km/h in only 5.7 seconds, and the needle will continue on to an impressive claimed top speed of 240km/h. This meant that getting stuck behind a truck simply just didn’t happen. The Giulia always made quick work of any overtake. As a result, I had one of my most peaceful and efficient trips to and from Potchefstroom. It was one of my more expensive trips. The Giulia isn’t an eco-friendly fuel-sipping town car. The consumption wasn’t crazy, but it was pretty thirsty, giving me a figure of between 9 and 10 litres per 100km.
Pricing
The Giulia is priced at R989 900, which places it in the crosshairs of some really competent competition, such as the Audi A4, Mercedes-Benz-C-class and ever-popular BMW 3-Series. Now, this is where the major problem of the Giulia and well Alfa-Romeo’s, in general, reveals itself. See, The Alfa Romeo brand is like a set of Miura Golf Clubs. They’re brilliant in their own right and can take the fight to larger brands such as TaylorMade, Ping, Titleist etc. However, the problem comes when you have to sell, the depression of both an Alfa is much worse than any of the well-established brands. In the South African Automotive landscape, Alfa’s suffer from the same issue. The more prominent brands have a much more established fanbase and network, making owning and selling these cars much more bearable. This means that buying a Giulia will be a passionate choice and not a logical one.
Conclusion
I loved the Giulia; It was a massive treat to test. Before my test of the Giulia, I thought owning a fast sexy car was impossible and redundant in a country like South Africa, where the Pickup and SUV rain supreme. But the Giulia sparked something in me, something that was there when I was younger when I dreamt of owning my own 159. It’s the love for cars, the love of driving something special, something with soul and passion, and that’s what this Alfa Giulia is, what it’s supposed to be. It’s supposed to make you feel special. And yes, there is a small dealer network and terrible depreciation, but who cares? It’s an Alfa it’s beautiful and nice to drive it’s a friend, and when I returned it after the test, I found myself missing it.
