ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA FINALLY SWAGGERS INTO SOUTH AFRICA

Admittedly I have been waiting to drive this car for months, following its world debut at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show almost a year ago. The Alfa Romeo Giulietta is one pretty dame. Id’ say Alfa still designs some of the best-looking, if not the very best-looking cars in the entire industry. And this one is no different.

An obvious replacement to the old 147 premium hatchback, the Giulietta harks its name back to the cars of the 1950s which bore the same name. Being a young buck myself, my first experience with this iconic name was a 1982 model Nuova Giulietta, then owned by my aunt. Of course I was still a baby then so the closest I got was the front passenger seat. But those who had the pleasure swore by it. I must admit, I can’t say I’ve ever driven an Alfa that didn’t satisfy my driving itch. In this list I include cars like the GTA and Brera. Even the suburban 159 sedan (due for replacement later this year) can outhandle some pedigreed sports cars on any given day. I promise you.

New Giulietta is very much in the same vein. Except less. Fiat has built the car on a new platform called Compact which is supposed to make it very nice for people who like to drive. On a scale of 1 to 10 I would give it a solid 7, but someone else would probably give it a 9. Why the discrepancy? A lot of 147 customers apparently complained of that car’s over-sportiness, to the point of discomfort for some. Giulietta has addressed these concerns and of course in the process, lost some of the hard edge. Normal drivers will really enjoy it, Alfistis, I’m not too sure. The car is fun for sure, but perhaps not challenging enough for what we’ve come to expect of this Italian brand. Even the Q2 electronic differential used in the ranger topper isn’t enough to add the spicier handling.

Stylewise Alfa could do no better than the 8C Competizione as a design influence. Those flowing eyes with LED running drops, wavy bonnet, and upside down deep triangular front grille. The shoulder line starts mid-headlight but breaks before the front door handle, only to resume again midway and flows straight to the rear light. What a beautiful rear light it is, as it folds into a loop. Awesome to look at when Giulietta brakes, or at night. Hidden on the C pillar are the rear door handles, same style as the old 156. At 4.35 metres long, 1.8 metres wide and 1.46 metres high the car is quite spacious for its type.

Interior comfort levels are increased by the inclusion of technologies such as the Fiat/ Microsoft Blue & Me technology, which makes it easier to connect passengers with the car, in terms of entertainment. For the Giulietta Alfa has partnered with Tomtom, the world’s leading satellite navigation system maker, to make a portable package. You can dock the device on the dashboard while driving, and remove it for use as a portable sat nav.

A good spread of petrol engines is on offer. First off is an 88kW, 206Nm 1.4-litre turbo that would probably be the best-seller in the range. Next up is the same engine but with MultiAir technology, 125kW at 5500rpm, and peak torque of 230Nm at 2250rpm in normal mode and 250Nm at 2500rpm in dynamic mode. The top dog is a 1.7-litre turbo 1750 TBi Quadrifoglio Verde which kicks out a very useful and wholesome 173kW at 5500rpm. Maximum torque is 300Nm at 4500rpm (340Nm at 1900rpm in dynamic). Mzansi has not been allocated diesel models and the company won’t be drawn into whether a high-performance, 200kW-plus GTA is on the cards or not.

All three drive through the two front wheels and are engaged by a 6-speed manual gearbox. There are moments of understeer as expected, especially when driving off briskly. When cornering it’s not too evident, depending on the sharpness of that curve. At the same time steering feedback is more neutral, more sedate than in the 147.

I expected more from the interior, I must admit. I mean, anyone with a body like that is automatically beautiful inside too, right? Well, the design is quite simple, unfussy, well laid out actually and quite accessible from the driver’s point of view. Unfortunately, perhaps due to very low R&D spend, a number of items have been sourced from Fiat models like the Punto. An example is the steering boss and its satellite buttons. Yes it’s perfectly acceptable to share in order to arrest costs, but one does not expect to be staring at a Fiat while blasting down on the performance Quadrifoglio Verde.

At the media launch down in Cape Town I was lucky enough to drive one painted in a special triple-coat colour called Rosso Competizione, after that car. Buyers will be able to choose from 8 types of alloy wheels ranging from 16 to 18-inch in diameter.

Alfa Romeo offers a five-year 150 000 km warranty on the new Giulietta. Linked to this is a six-year/90 000km service plan for the 1.4-litre models (with service intervals of 30 000km) and a six-year/105 000km service plan for the flagship 1750 TBi which features 35 000km service intervals.

Alfa sees the Giulietta competing with cars like the Audi A3, BMW 1 Series and VW Golf mainly. I would add the Renault Megane and Opel Astra to the mix. For volumes it probably won’t be able to match any of them. But for performance and finesse it holds its head high above the clouds, and in some cases, about the class.

Alfa Romeo Giulietta Pricing (including VAT and C02 emissions tax)

1.4 TB (R243 000)

1.4 TB MultiAir (R279 900)

1750 TBi Quadrifoglio Verde (R330 275)