Alfa Romeo Giulia marks rebirth of Italian marque
Alfa Romeo, long the heart and soul of the European auto industry has returned to the U.S. marketplace with a vengeance following a nearly 20-year hiatus.
Both the base model Giulia and Ti model draw their motive force from an all-new, all-aluminum 2.0-liter direct-injection turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that delivers 280 horsepower along with 306 pound feet of torque, making it capable of sprinting from 0-60 mph in just under 5.1 seconds and of reaching a top speed of 150 mph.
The transmission for both cars is an eight-speed automatic transmission with available column-mounted paddle shifters that gears energy to either the rear wheels or to all four through an available Q4 all-wheel drive system.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio’s power comes from a Ferrari-based 2.9-liter, DOHC, 24-valve, Bi-turbo, Direct Injected V6 engine that cranks out a best-in-class 505 horsepower at 6,500 rpm, along with 443 pound feet of torque in a range from 2,500 to 5,500 rpm.
The Quadrifoglio travels from 0 to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds, and holds the Nürburgring record as the world’s fastest production four-door sedan with a lap time of 7 minutes and 32 seconds.
Q4 is not available for the Quadrifoglio with power geared to the rear wheels only, via an eight-speed automatic transmission with available column-mounted paddle shifters.
The Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio features unique advanced technology including: a four-mode Alfa DNA Pro Drive Mode Selector that adds Race mode, a torque vectoring differential, high-performance Brembo six-piston front and four-piston rear brake caliper system, Quadrifoglio-tuned adaptive suspension, Quadrifoglio instrument cluster with 200 mph speedometer, cylinder deactivation system, Blind-spot Monitoring, Rear Cross Path detection, vehicle alarm and high-performance bi-xenon headlamps offering auto-leveling technology, adaptive cornering and headlamp washers.
In terms of its exterior design appeal, up front, a large signature “shield” grille is elegantly sculpted within the front fascia forming the “Trilobo,” an iconic Alfa Romeo design signature.
The grille is flanked by all-new bi-xenon projector headlamps, which include an adaptive front-lighting system (AFS) while LED daytime running lights provide a recognizable appearance.
Aft, elegantly shaped tail lamp features are drawn horizontally highlighting the performance sedan’s width, while LED rear light clusters further emphasize the Giulia’s use of advanced technologies Finishing off the rear is a sport, dual-mode exhaust system with quad tips that delivers a familiar and delightful Alfa Romeo exhaust note.
At the interior’s center is an all-new 3-D Navigation that provides an intuitive, yet sophisticated series of features, including a high-resolution 8.8-inch widescreen display with real-time vehicle performance pages and telemetry, plus 3-D graphic navigation.
The all-new and ergonomically located Alfa Rotary Pad offers a gesture recognition system that allows the driver to interact with the 3-D Navigation system simply by moving fingers on the pad.
Hot laps came first in the rain on a slick track, followed by a marketing and product presentation.
Next came a track “chalk talk,” followed by a familiarization session with each journalist driving, accompanied by a driving instructor.