Friday 26th June 2015

Alfa Romeo Giulia - official!

Rear-wheel drive, 510hp flagship and looks to die for - dare we get excited?

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Well this is a surprise. A pleasant one too. After years of speculation with the car on, then off and then on again, here is the new Alfa Giulia. Little has been released prior to today on the 159 replacement so it's with a great deal of excitement that a few official details can be released.

Hang on, this pic looks familiar...

Doesn't it look great? This the flagship Quadrifoglio Verde version - more details on that soon - and therefore the most aggressive of all Giulias but the signs are very good for all models. The overhangs are short, the bonnet is long and the proportions spot on for a compact rear-drive saloon. There are familiar Alfa details in the teledial wheels and 'trefoil' nose too. OK, so it's not groundbreaking as small saloons go but from here it does the traditional format in a very stylish, modern way. And since when did radical sell in this segment?

The good news continues underneath the Giulia. It's on an all-new rear-wheel drive platform that promises 50/50 weight distribution, the best torsional rigidity in the class and also the longest wheelbase. And you thought they had ignored practicality... There's a new 'Alfalink' multi-link rear axle, electronic adaptive dampers and double-clutch torque vectoring as well. Alfa also mentions a "semi-virtual steering axis" which "optimises the filtering effect and guarantees rapid, accurate steering by keeping a constant caster trail in corners." Hmm.

Elsewhere on the dynamic tech front it's worth noting the Integrated Brake System - combining the stability control and brake servo for the best response and performance - the active front splitter and the carbon ceramic brakes. Don't expect the latter two on the mid-range diesel...

Please be good, please be good, please b...

Speaking of engines, there's only one confirmed so far. Being Alfa Romeo, that's the very fastest one. Ready? This Giulia QV will use a 510hp turbocharged 3.8-litre V6 "tuned by engineers with a Ferrari background", which we'll assume is related to that used in the Maserati Quattroporte. An all-aluminium lump with cylinder deactivation and "surprising" fuel efficiency, we're assured that it will "deliver that distinctive Alfa Romeo sound to complement the performance." Very promising, right?

Some semblance of familiarity with other Alfas is to be found with the 'DNA' switch inside, modifying the dynamic behaviour across throttle response, damping, steering and so on. It's joined in the Giulia by 'Chassis Domain Control', which has so far only been described as controlling the "specific task of optimising performance and driving pleasure." Which sounds like what DNA should do... Let's see.

Those paying close attention to the Giulia photos will have clocked a new Alfa logo. Designed by Robilant Associati, it's not drastically different but instead "modernised and renewed" in line with the launch. Let's hope a new badge marks a new era for Alfa, beginning with the proper RWD saloon enthusiasts have been crying out for since the 75's demise. More details as soon as we can grab them!

[Northernlights]

The engine sounds fun, but I cannot get my head around the looks. It is too bulbous to these eyes, and a little, uh, Infiniti at the back. I'll be intrigued to see if I am in the minority here.