Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia good enough? PH Blog

Does Alfa Romeo's new four-door cut it as both a well-dressed rep and an M3-chasing super saloon?

Now I've finally driven the Alfa Romeo Giulia here in the UK I feel qualified to answer that 'dare we hope' question: is it any good? My Tweeted response to a fellow journo who'd somehow managed to spend all day in the Quadrifoglio version (git) and wanted to know what the bread and butter petrol and diesels were like was perhaps tinged with envy: "Petrol - pretty but not that fast. Diesel - pretty but sounds like a tractor."

Really quite appealing inside too

Proper review to follow - promise - but you might be fearing from that it's yet another case of huge expectation that an Alfa Romeo will deliver being dashed at the final fence. We've been waiting long enough after all - the 156 and 159 looked ace, but when you're up against the 3 Series and your sales pitch is emotive and based on sporting pedigree you need more than slick styling.

Credit to FCA for investing in a rear-wheel drive platform on which Alfa Romeo could build a proper contender, assuming it could be bothered with the fiddly stuff like calibration, ensuring it held together and making sure the dealerships are slick enough to win folk over from the Germans. Credit also due to Jaguar for doing the same with the (recently updated) XE, widening the pool for repmobiles with a hint of glamour and a vaguely sporty twist. Even when fitted with a BIK-friendly eco diesel.

FWD in a fancy frock wasn't going to cut it this time was it.

Tempting as it was to gravitate toward the Quadrifoglio (VERY tempting) I'm actually quite glad I was far enough down the queue to start with the 2.0 petrol and 2.2 diesel four-cylinder cars most 'real' customers will be buying. These start in the low 30s, were specced into the low 40s for our test drive and represent Alfa Romeo's attack on the core mid-range 3 Series, C-Class, A4 and XE alternatives.

And there's that badge...

It'll take some forensic number crunching to decide whether they add up in the Giulia's favour but the good news is at a very basic level - the few seconds from bum hitting seat to first gripping the wheel and taking in your surroundings - the Alfa Romeo scores some major hits. This having already impressed with the exterior looks, which even in 'normal' trim like the 'Super' spec cars we drove manage to look significantly sexier and sportier than anything else at this price. Your A4 might have a snazzy 'Virtual Cockpit' and well-damped action on the minor switchgear. But the Giulia has the head-turning appeal to make it look pretty frumpy, even if you specced it up to S Line with all the trimmings. In a sector where image is key this is going to matter. But only if the car and ownership experience can live up to it.

First impressions are promising enough to say hold off ticking the box for a 320d or XE until you've at least considered the Italian alternative. And that's not something we've been able to say for some time.

And I only had the briefest of goes in the Quadrifoglio. But even from that it feels proper.

Dare we hope? Just possibly.