Motoring
Alfa Romeo Giulia The latest car from the Italian giant is something to cherish, says Bob Hickman
T
he mere mention of the Alfa Romeo brand gets most motoring enthusiasts drooling, thanks to the Italian manufacturer’s vehicles having style in abundance. The Giulia is no different, making it a welcome exception to the industry’s current plethora of SUVs. It makes a pleasant change to get back to a four-door saloon. If the exterior – with its sweeping lines, Siamese cat’s “The eyes headlamps and offset front number plate – excites, Giulia is the interior will enthral. The responsive black leather complements the and nimble” exterior paintwork superbly. The interior space is also reasonably good, although the rear headroom is somewhat limited and the boot space problematic when it comes to loading, but these are minor gripes in an otherwise fabulous-looking vehicle. Our test vehicle was supplied with a 1995cc 200bhp petrol engine, driven through an eightspeed automatic gearbox. At all times the vehicle
Alfa Romeo’s trademark sweeping lines
was responsive and nimble, with sharp handling. The performance matched the vehicle’s stunning looks, going from 0 to 60 of 6.6 seconds and with a potential top speed of 146mph.
The stylish interior
Many options
The instrumentation is a wonderful example of Italian style and the manufacturer hasn’t overlooked the safety aspects either. The Giulia is available with forward collision warning, autonomous emergency brake, lane departure warning, electric cruise control and a blind spot monitoring feature. Standard equipment on the entry level vehicle is extensive with alloy wheels, daytime running lights, LED rear lights and dual zone climate control. For the real petrolhead the exclusive Quadrifoglio should tick all the boxes. It comes equipped with a 2.9-litre bi-turbo petrol engine, producing a phenomenal 510bhp, sufficient to give 0-60 in just 3.9 seconds and 190mph top speed. I was left in no doubt after a week in the company of this beautiful lady that Alfa Romeo has once again built a vehicle that’s not only pleasant to look at but also to drive. In this era of identikit SUVs, the Giulia is a breath of fresh air. The Alfa Romeo Giulia has an on-the-road price of £39,380, including a three-year warranty, three-year roadside assistance package and an eight-year anti-perforation warranty
Bob is a devoted car and motorcycle fan. After a 30-year career as a police motorcycle patrol officer and latterly as a sergeant, patrolling the motorways of the Midlands, retirement beckoned and he embarked on writing about his love of transport. Bob is a member of the Guild of Motor Writers and the Midland Guild of Motor Writers. In his spare time he rides a Royal Enfield Continental GT motorcycle and drives a 1994 MG RV8.
May/June 2021 | SHIRE MAGAZINE 95
Cars MayJune 2021 FINAL.indd 105
22/04/2021 16:21
