Alfa Giulietta QV: Italian flair amongst sea of German sensibility

By Miles Downard

Alfa Romeo is undergoing a bit of a shake up at the moment. There’s been so much hype around the newly released Giulia and accordingly the marque’s return to premium saloons, that the world seems to have forgotten what one can go out and buy at this very moment.

What that is exactly is a very nice premium hatchback called the Giulietta; this one in particular has had some red blooded Quadrifoglio Verde treatment and in Alfa’s world it doesn’t get much better than the legendary green Cloverleaf.

But in a world of Golf GTi’s, Ford Focus ST’s and Renault Megane RS’ the Giulietta has formidable competition, to say the least. So how does it stack up?

On the outside

If there’s one thing you can count on it’s that an Alfa will turn heads. That goes double for one with a Cloverleaf badge. The lower suspension, nicely proportioned body kit and charcoal tinted 18-inch wheels tick all the hot hatch boxes. There’s a bit more than that though, the way the Alfa’s bonnet draws to a point in a retro-styled grille, its elongated headlights and the sleek window line leave the Giulietta in a class of its own.

Read also: Ford Focus ST: sharper, more focused fun

On the inside

The inside is just as impressive. Every aspect appears to have been sculpted to be pleasing on the eye, even if its function might be hindered by the fact. The seats are marvelous to look at; supportive and firm but not uncomfortable. The dash is superbly crafted with large, shrouded dials, tapering into smoothly integrated air vents. Everything about the QV’s appearance leaves rivals by the wayside.

There are downsides though. Like I said, ergonomics seem secondary to the creation of something that is visually stunning. There also aren’t any cupholders and the stalks feel terribly flimsy, but it just wouldn’t be an Alfa without some quirks, right?

Read also: VW Polo GTI: Punches above its weight

Behind the wheel

The Giulietta QV is powered by a four cylinder, 1750cc, turbo-charged motor. Don’t be fooled by its diminutive size though, with 173kW it out-powers a Golf GTI and comes pretty close to the Ford Focus ST. 

There are three driving modes available under Alfa’s DNA system. ‘Dynamic’ is where you really want to be though. The throttle response is sharp so you can enjoy the substantial low-end torque and hear the deep, crisp engine note. The steering weight rises but in a natural way, not by artificially increasing resistance. Also the 6 speed double-clutch (or TCT as the Italian’s call it) gearbox changes cogs with more vigour. The other modes are a bit numb for my liking, also leaving the gearbox um-ming and ar-ring at times.

On a relatively gentle run through some back roads the Giulietta feels alive, more so than your average hot hatch, offering good feedback through the steering, sharp turn in and little body roll. Despite all the power grip levels are quite hard to overcome resulting in a sling-shot-like exit from corners.

It’s only once you drive the Giulietta on the raggedy edge that it loses some of that composure. Where a Renault Megane RS keeps on giving no matter how much you push, the Cloverleaf simply doesn’t. The steering becomes unsettled and the damping struggles to keep up at higher speeds.

Pricing

The Alfa hits the price-list just shy of R460,000. That’s a bit less than a Golf GTI which is considered the benchmark (for whatever reason). The Alfa is about as well equipped off the shelf but you won’t find as much kit available on the options list as you might like.

Verdict

It does everything you’d expect from an Alfa hot hatch; it’s comfortable, refined, quick and you get great design as part of the package. In fact it’ll do the job for most people almost all of the time and deliver the goods in a fun and engaging package. But if you’re after a hard-and-fast-lap-record-setter then you’re probably more suited elsewhere.

Price: R459 202
Engine: 1742cc four cylinder turbocharged petrol
Power: 173 kW
Torque: 340 Nm
Acceleration (0-100km/h): 6.6 (claimed)
Top Speed (km/h): 244
Consumption (l/100km): 7.0 (claimed)
Service: 3yr/100 000km maintenance plan

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