By James Siddall
You can’t, as most of us have been taught from a young age, have your cake and eat it. An excellent case in point has long been Alfa Romeos.
For decades, conventional wisdom has quite rightly held Alfas to be charismatic, highly desirable cars, and most owners fall deeply in love with their steeds. But by the same token, they’ve often had to put up with crippling maintenance costs, chronic depreciation and a degree of mechanical capriciousness.
But that’s been changing in recent years. Alfas have rapidly been becoming real-world, everyday cars, while losing none of their Italian individuality.
Enter the gorgeous new Giulietta, representing a rational, practical, yet desirable entrant into the hotly contested C-segment or Golf-sized class.
The facts and figures
The three-car range includes the 1.4 TB Progression, the 1.4 TB MultiAir Distinctive, and the evocatively named, range-topping 1750 TBi Quadrifoglio Distinctive.
All are brilliant, but the arguable winner is the MultiAir, which uses the award-winning MultiAir engine to give an output of 125kW and 250Nm from just 1 368cc. Fuel consumption is pegged at 5.8 litres per 100km in the combined cycle, and a remarkable 4.6 litres on the open road.
It’s a wonderfully tractable, flexible motor, propelling that gorgeous body to 100km/h in 7.8 seconds, while its top speed is listed as a very respectable 218km/h. Like all Giuliettas, it’s laden with high-tech luxuries and safety features, from six airbags to VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control).
Entertaining drive
Another great feature is the Alfa DNA selector. This modifies the operating parameters of the engine, gearbox, steering system and Q2 electronic diff, as well as the VDC system, so drivers can choose between three set-ups: Dynamic, Normal and All Weather.
On the launch earlier this year, the cars were almost all left in Dynamic mode and journalists were ecstatic to discover the Giuliettas were as involving and entertaining to drive as any of the fabled Alfas of yore. Prices aren’t outrageous either.
The entry-level 1.4 TB Progression costs R243 000. The MultiAir starts at R279 900, and the turbocharged Quadrifoglio Verde, with a 1 750cc motor making 173kW is R330 275. All come with a six-speed gearbox, while the range has a 5-star Euro NCAP rating.
This car will boost Alfa Romeo’s global fortunes and help garner this century-old marque a whole new generation of fans or Alfisti…