by John Tallodi
There's something special about the Alfa Romeo brand. It has an effortless, stylish quality that doesn't seem quite as prevalent in its direct rivals. Even though it has gone through long periods of producing woefully underdeveloped cars, there are moments of brilliance that make us forget everything and fall in love with the brand all over again.
In some ways, we have been spared from a particularly low period in its history as Alfa Romeo exited the US market in 1995. That's because it turned its attention to building a slew of front-wheel-drive hatchbacks and sedans that had undeniable style, but were underwhelming to drive.
It returned in 2008 with a bang. First with the gorgeous limited-edition 8C Competizione, then, in 2015, the 4C Coupe and Spider were introduced. Both were great reminders of why this storied brand had been so revered in its heyday, but it needed a regular production model to attract a wider audience. That car was the Alfa Romeo Giulia sports sedan.
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The Alfa Romeo Giulia
| Giulia Ti | Giulia Ti Q4 | Giulia Quadrifoglio | |
| Engine | 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four | 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four | 2.9-liter twin-turbo V6 |
| Power | 280 hp | 280 hp | 513 hp |
| Torque | 306 lb-ft | 306 lb-ft | 443 lb-ft |
| 0-60 mph | 5.5 seconds (RWD) | 5.1 seconds (AWD) | 3.8 seconds (RWD only) |
Announced in 2015, the Giulia was a newly developed model that ditched the nose-heavy front-wheel drive layout and returned to a rear-wheel-drive format with a longitudinally mounted engine. It was better-looking than any of its rivals, dynamically brilliant, and a resounding sales disaster. We look into whether it remains a worthy alternative to its rivals, and uncover whether it's an undervalued sleeper, or yet another Alfa that disappoints when you dig beneath those beautiful lines.
Just look at it. If there was ever any doubt that the Italians don't ooze effortless style, then the Alfa Romeo Giulia is here to dispel it. We tend to build cars that look powerful and aggressive, sometimes even handsome in a brutish way. The Japanese prefer softer, more rounded forms, while the Germans sometimes focus on futuristic designs that don't always hit the right stylistic note.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia was revealed in 2015, with production starting in 2016 as 2017 model year cars. The US got two engine options and a handful of trim levels, so the range – in comparison to the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class – was a little small. All variants got an eight-speed automatic transmission, and rear-wheel drive was standard, with all-wheel drive optional on certain trims.
Still, the entry-level 280-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder was more powerful than the base German offerings, and the 505-hp Quadrifoglio was on par with the brutish 503-hp Mercedes-AMG C63S, and made 74-hp more than the contemporary BMW M3 Competition. Overall performance and handling for both models was right up there with these class leaders. The interior fit and finish were decent, too, although not quite as good as these rivals.
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This article originally appeared on CarBuzz and is republished here with permission.
