Exactly 105 years ago, Alfa Romeo was born in Milan. A century after that seminal moment, the Italian manufacturer is back in business following a plethora of hits and misses. Ladies and gents with a passion for Bella Italia on four wheels, it is our pleasure to introduce you to the gobsmacking pretty 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia (Tipo 952) in Quadrifoglio Verde form.
Now headquartered in Turin, the Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles-owned company responded to years of criticism for sub-par vehicles, born under the Fiat Group’s guidance. Even CEO Harald Wester described the 159 sedan as a bit of a dog’s breakfast, courtesy of a partnership between Fiat and GM. The replacement for the 159 is here to wash the sins away.
For starters, it’s the first rear-wheel drive (and all-wheel drive) Alfa Romeo sedan in... eons. Try to remember when was the last time the Italian manufacturer produced a RWD sedan with sporting credentials? It was 23 years ago, in 1992, when the last Alfa Romeo 75 was produced. The 75 is a milestone in Alfa Romeo history for an additional reason: it was the last model released by Alfa Romeo before Fiat acquired the company, replacing the 75 with the front-wheel drive 155, 156, and 159 compact executive sedans.
That’s about enough with the history lessons. What’s the deal with the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia (Tipo 952)? Is it any good? Is it sporty? Is it beautiful? Does it have what it takes to put up with performance sedans like the BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S? Hell yes to all of these questions, and then some. It’s easy to wax lyrical about the Giulia in the archetypal Italian way, but we’re not going to fall into that trap. Here goes:
The styling
Where do we start? The taillamps remotely resemble those of the Kia Optima and Mazda6, but guess what brand inspired the Japanese to draw their taillamps so? It was Alfa Romeo, the reason why the rear end of the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia is a-OK by us. On the Quadrifoglio Verde performance variant, we’re served with a bulky rear bumper that incorporates a thumping great aerodynamic diffuser and quad exhaust pipes.
There’s a sleek bootlid spoiler there as well, just to remind the driver behind the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV that this Italian sedan means business. Then there’s the waistline of the car, muscly rear wheel arches, and the shark fin antenna - elements that round off the Giulia’s rear-end design rather nicely. Gunmetal grey alloy wheels wrapped in sticky Pirelli rubber and cross-drilled Brembo brakes with red-painted calipers on all four corners are other tell-tale signs that sporty is this car’s nature.
From the side profile, we can admire the beautiful outline of the rear doors and the small gills located behind the pumped up front fenders. Above these gills sit QV badges, the short way of saying Quadrifoglio Verde. That’s Alfa Romeo’s way to say “eat my dust, BMW M3 and Mercedes-AMG C63 S!” As for the front fascia design, what’s the Italian for “so gorgeous?”
LED-accented headlamps, a beautifully formed hood with two small vents exclusive to the Quadrifoglio Verde, the traditional Alfa Romeo shield-shaped front grille, and a thumping great bumper design. The chicken wire in the lower region of the bumper feels just right on QV-ified Giulia. We have to admit - it’s the best-looking compact executive sedan on the market, and it’s an Alfa Romeo on top of it all.
As for the cabin design, we can’t believe this is an Alfa Romeo interior. The dashboard, the HVAC controls, gear lever, huge infotainment system display, instrument cluster, seat design, and steering wheel, everything oozes Italian flamboyance with a twist - it’s a driver-focused cabin design that boasts better quality, materials, and fit and finish than what Alfa Romeo offers on its current crop of models. With a starter button on the steering wheel and an Alfa DNA rotary knob that reads RACE, what more do you need from a performance sedan? 50/50 weight distribution? It's got that as well.
The mechanicals
You’ve been waiting for this. Although the Italians are mum on the curb weight of the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia in non-QV specification, the oily bits are impressive. An extensive selection of 1.4, 1.8, 2.0, 2.2 and 3.0 turbo & twin-turbo engines are available. The range-topping diesel is developed by VM Motori and churns out 340 horsepower and oodles of torque. But it’s the 3.0 all-aluminum twin-turbo V6 petrol engine, with cylinder on demand technology, that makes our blood boil: 510 HP thanks to Ferrari know-how. Consider that the Quadrifoglio Verde weighs 1,525 kg (3,362 lbs). M3 what now? The Bavarian tips the scales at 1,605 kg (3,540 lbs). As if that wasn't enough, the Alfa does the 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) sprint in 3.9 seconds!
In terms of suspension components, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia without the QV badge on it is not that different from a typical compact executive sedan like the BMW 3 Series. But when QV steps on the scene, everything is tuned to perform as sporty as possible - from the spring rate to the dampers and from the control arms to the rubber bushings. Double-wishbone-type front suspension and a five-link rear suspension system are the name of the game here. By the way, an active aero system, carbon ceramic brakes, active differential, and torque vectoring are on the menu as well.
Alfa says that the Giulia QV has "the most direct steering on the market." Good on you, now give us one to test and see if the BMW M3 should be afraid of a six-speed manual-equipped and rear-wheel drive Alfa Romeo Giulia QV. Underpinned by a similar vehicle architecture as the one used by Maserati for the Ghibli, the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia in non-QV format boasts rear-wheel drive and all-wheel drive.
Compared to the Ghibli, the Giulia is available with a six-speed manual transmission that joins a ZF-developed 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. CEO Harold Wester said at the event that “Alfa Romeo was and will be again a perfect fusion between man and machine; this is the mission.” Those are bold words.
On an ending note...
...Wester is adamant that “the new Alfa Romeo will be like this: authentic and fully respectful to its DNA and tradition.” Thanks to Lorenzo Ramaciotti’s automotive design work, Ferarri’s twin-turbo V6 engine, and Maserati’s vehicle platform, the Giulia QV is the proverbial bee’s knees in the performance sedan segment. Even Andrea Bocelli came to sing for the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia QV at the sport sedan’s unveiling event.
Expect more info on the 2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia (Tipo 952) to surface in the coming weeks.
After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well. Full profile
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