Review: Alfa Romeo Giulietta

Alfa Romeo has spent a century producing cars that people talk about, one way or another.

Often they've been simply stunning to look at, sometimes so ugly you wonder if they were designed in the dark.

Others have been a frisky delight to drive, but too many ended up overweight disappointments.

When the stars have been aligned at Alfa's design centre the results rank among the finest cars to drive at the price and with looks you'll want to linger over as the garage door closes.

Recent Alfas have lacked little in the looks department; trouble is, they not lacked enough when put on the scales. The result has been a succession of cars that didn't quite live up to their lines.

Which makes this centenary debut, the Giulietta hatchback, an important introduction to the Alfa line. No more excuses, this one had better be good.

The omens are hopeful when the figures show only a modest weight gain over the smaller, less well equipped Alfa 147 the newcomer replaces. It is also usefully lighter than the opposition in the shape of the latest Golf and Astra.

Ferocious

Then you look under the bonnet and discover one Giulietta comes with an engine enjoying the improbable mix of small capacity and ferocious output (1.4 litres and 170 horses) that ought to provide the spirit any Alfa deserves.

And of course, there's the handsome sheet metal wrapped around it all. With the handles for the rear doors hidden at the rear of the side windows, the Giulietta looks more coupe than hatch. The big Alfa grille dominates the front of the car, while rows of little red LEDs give the rear an identity all its own, especially at night.

Inside, the designers have created a cockpit that teeters on the edge of form over function, with deeply recessed main instruments that are hard to read at a glance and a trip computer read out in red that simply vanishes in the sunlight.

We'll let that go as an endearing design quirk (along with nowhere to rest your clutch foot) and concentrate instead on the many things this Alfa gets right.

Most impressive of all is the way the car soaks up the worst a British road can throw at it, while remaining alert and poised and just begging for the next corner to arrive. We can thank a brand new platform under the car and new suspension system for that; an expensive move but badly needed.

Then there's the engine in this test car, a 170 horsepower Multiair Lusso, costing £19,495 and likely biggest seller in the range, expected to take a total of 6,000 cars in a full year in the UK.

It pulls in an energetically Alfa way yet sinks into the background at a steady cruise, making for a surprisingly relaxed companion. My car showed 34mpg after a drive designed to show off the Giulietta's sportier side.

There's a three-way switch to select normal, sporty or wet-road characteristics from the accelerator and steering; sporty (Dynamic in Alfa speak) suited the car perfectly; making it eager and firming up the already accurate steering.

Price

The newcomer starts at £16,995 for the 120bhp Lusso and tops out with the £24,495 Cloverleaf (205bhp, fast, hard riding) and takes in a couple of diesels (105 and 170bhp) that will appeal to the economy drivers who still lust after the Alfa badge.

There are four trim levels, starting with Turismo. This brings six airbags, manual air conditioning and sound system with radio/CD player and six speakers.

Lusso comes next and adds cruise control, auto air con, alloy wheels and auto lights and wipers. Next up is Veloce with sports suspension, bigger alloys and leather trim, while Cloverleaf lowers the suspension, adds still bigger wheels and tints the windows more darkly.

Me? I'd take the 170 horsepower Lusso and enjoy the best new Alfa for a very long time.