AN evocative name from motoring history is being revived by Alfa Romeo as the famous Italian marque turns 100.
The all new Giulietta will be on sale in a matter of weeks and in true Alfa fashion it’s as sexy as it’s sporty.
The original Giulietta made its debut in 1954 and brought Alfa motoring to the masses.
Prior to that getting behind the wheel of an Alfa was the preserve of the elite with the Milan firm concentrating on motoring racing and drivers such as Ascari, Nuvolari and Enzo Ferrari.
Steeped in history, the new Giulietta’s mission is to continue Alfa’s philosophy of cars which blend technology and beauty.
Priced from £16,995 the Giulietta is a sleek, five door hatch which is styled to impress.
Its sharp looks are emphasised at the front with LED running lights and Alfa’s trademark V-shaped grille while at the back LED tail lamps swirl across the tailgate.
Looking very much like a mature version of the smaller MiTo, the Giulietta is part of a new generation of Alfa hatchbacks that have been selling well since 2008.
It is up against the likes of the VW Golf, Audi A3 and Vauxhall’s new Astra and will be powered either by 1.4 and 1.75-litre petrol engines or 1.6 and two-litre diesels.
All are turbo boosted to pack plenty of punch but it is the flagship Cloverleaf models which deliver the pure Alfa experience.
In this guise the Giulietta is available only with the potent 1.75-litre engine boosted to pump out 235bhp – that’s three-litre power but at 37.2mpg, the economy of a 1.6.
The Cloverleaf is Alfa’s racing emblem and the car itself is raw fun to drive and nicely balanced.
Alfa’s DNA adaptive dynamics system is fitted to all Giuliettas and alters throttle and suspension settings at the push of a lever.
Engage the sporty dynamic mode on the Cloverleaf and the effect is an instant kick in the back. In this sports mode the Giulietta can accelerate from 0 to 60mph in 6.8 seconds with a top speed of 150mph – hot hatch performance in anyone’s book.
At £24,495 the Cloverleaf is the most expensive of the Giulietta range which also comprises Turismo, Lusso and Veloce models.
All come with a new interior which breaks away from the heavy use of plastics. Instead the dash is smart and functional with a gloss finish and metal effect inserts.
Air conditioning and electronic stability controls are standard as are a full array of safety devices which have earned it the highest score for any compact car in the Euro NCAP crash tests.
Higher specification versions have cruise control, Bluetooth phone connections, auto wipers and lights while the Cloverleaf gets the full sports treatment with lowered suspension, dark tint windows and red brake callipers amongst its snazzy features.
If there is a criticism, the Cloverleaf badge stuck on the front wing rather like a fridge magnet hardly does the car’s sporting lineage justice.
Inside the rather large aluminium pedals could have done with a place to rest your left foot next to the clutch and the foldaway centre console does not offer that much space.
Boot capacity of 350 litres is usable but not over generous.
While the Cloverleaf is the model which shows the best of Alfa Romeo’s pedigree, all engines do the job and the 170bhp two-litre diesel is almost as rapid with 0 to 60 in eight seconds bolstered by average fuel consumption in the region of 60mpg.
The greenest of the range is the 1.6-litre diesel with CO2 emissions down to 114g/km and all but the Cloverleaf at 177g/km have tailpipe outputs rated below the 150g/km mark.
Alfa Romeo Fact File
- Alfa was founded on June 24, 1910 in Milan
- Alfa stands for Anonima Lombarda Fabbrica Automobili – Lombard Automobile Factory, Public Company
- Neapolitan engineer Nicola Romeo acquired the company in 1915 and changed the name to Alfa Romeo
- The Alfa badge features a red cross from the Milan city banner and the Visconti family grass snake symbol
- Alfa won the Targa Florio in 1923 where the Cloverleaf emblem made its first appearance
- Alfas have won the Mille Miglia a record 11 times and the Le Mans 24 hour race on four consecutive occasions
- Nino Farina won the Formula One World Championship in 1950 in an Alfa 158
- Juan Fangio took the title the following year in a 425 bhp 1.5-litre Alfa capable of more than 180mph, the most powerful 1.5 engine ever made
- The first Giulietta Sprint was introduced in 1954 and then cost £2,200 – expensive for a car of its day
- Alfa’s centenary is being marked this weekend as the featured brand at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in Sussex