Alfa Romeo Giulia Veloce - Paris 2016
280hp four-wheel drive Giulia Veloce to bridge gap to QV plus restyled Giulietta and Mito
19-inch wheels, black exterior trim, leather sports seats and aluminium dash trim are all part of the Veloce package, that evocative name adding some essential Latin glamour to a market sector not noted for its romance.
Alfa Romeo says the 2.0-litre petrol engine is a new unit and boasts 280hp and 295lb ft, featuring MultiAir electro-hydraulic valves, direct injection and a 'two into one' turbocharger. Impressive stats, given BMW's 330i manages 252hp and 258lb ft from a comparable 2.0-litre four - near identical to the Audi A4's 2.0-litre TFSI petrol. The hybrid Mercedes C350e is the most powerful petrol C-Class at this level and Jaguar's XE 2.0 R-Sport has 240hp, the Veloce's on-paper advantage as tempting as its emotive image. For its part the Q4 all-wheel drive system claims to preserve the Giulia's rear-driven balance, 100 per cent of the drive torque going to the rear axle unless the sensors detect slip and then send up to 60 per cent to the front according to 'real time' assessment of grip, steering angle and other parameters. The system adds around 60kg to the weight of the car and pressure, as ever, is for Alfa Romeo to deliver on the promise.
If your fleet manager still insists on diesel the Veloce version gets Alfa Romeo's first all-aluminium unit with 210hp and 347lb ft, again competitive with the equivalent versions of the aforementioned rivals. And if that doesn't work the charm Alfa Romeo is also introducing a new Giulia Advanced Efficiency with a 180hp version of the 2.2-litre diesel, 16-inch wheels running eco tyres and 99g/km emissions. Pricing for all will, of course, be key in this sector and will be confirmed in due course.
Meanwhile the Giulietta and Mito also get a bit of Veloce fairy dust, gaining revised grilles and branding and a selection of new trims and finishes.
(This is not personal Guv, just general comment with a handy quote)
Having driven a couple of different variants I can´t wait for mine.
(This is not personal Guv, just general comment with a handy quote)
Having driven a couple of different variants I can´t wait for mine.
I get to drive my parents car quite frequently and even though it's a boggo Astra with about 130bhp, the manual gearbox actually makes it more fun to drive then my car, despite the huge power discrepancy.
(This is not personal Guv, just general comment with a handy quote)
Having driven a couple of different variants I can´t wait for mine.
I get to drive my parents car quite frequently and even though it's a boggo Astra with about 130bhp, the manual gearbox actually makes it more fun to drive then my car, despite the huge power discrepancy.
I'm not sure why they would go to all the expense of developing a rwd platform and then only offer rwd in the least powerful eco versions which don't benefit from it or the 510hp Quadrifoglio which will be a small volume seller.
The 280hp version in 2wd would definitely be my pick.
I wondered the same. Possibly the worst car I've ever driven was a 2014 Astra diesel with manual box. No redeeming features and the gearbox was dreadful.
I wondered the same. Possibly the worst car I've ever driven was a 2014 Astra diesel with manual box. No redeeming features and the gearbox was dreadful.
The Astra was just an example, of course it's rubbish but just having the ability to stir the gearbox and use the clutch pedal gives you a whole other level of interactivity that clicking a paddle just can't match, no matter how clever it is. I also drove a friends BMW 120 recently, again not a car that's going to set your world on fire but the fact it had a manual gearbox made the experience a lot more fun than it should be.
The Astra was just an example, of course it's rubbish but just having the ability to stir the gearbox and use the clutch pedal gives you a whole other level of interactivity that clicking a paddle just can't match, no matter how clever it is. I also drove a friends BMW 120 recently, again not a car that's going to set your world on fire but the fact it had a manual gearbox made the experience a lot more fun than it should be.
Not sure I'd like to be 'using' the clutch on 500+ hp and 450+ ft lbs gear changes, I'd be living in fear of busting something, the auto takes the stress away. The Turbo on the coupe makes the manual driving experience a pleasure.
So, on topic, I think the 280hp manual 2wd would be brilliant and the QV would suit me with an auto box.
They do make some pant arousingly pretty cars those darn Italians!
Great work and the Alfa brand appears to be on top form!
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