Italians have always been known for their warm, passionate personalities, as well as their pastas and pizzas, which are as popular as bak chor mee and bak kwa. But when it comes to the tricky business of automotive making, there has been an equal mix of hits and misses.
Alfa Romeo is one of them. The Italian luxury carmaker has been through good and better days, with a series of lovable models that left lasting impressions with their characterful and charismatic drives, but yet having to go through a string of financial woes.
Things seem to be on the brighter side under its current stewardship of the Fiat Chrysler group, as the marque plans to launch no fewer than eight new models by 2018. And here we have one of Alfa's latest models in Singapore - the facelifted Giulietta.Up close and Personal
In its latest incarnation, the Giulietta takes on minor, yet important tweaks on its sheet metal. Also new is the availability of a new variant called the QV Line (Alfa's speak for Audi's S-Line and BMW's M-Sport).
Alfa Romeo is one of them. The Italian luxury carmaker has been through good and better days, with a series of lovable models that left lasting impressions with their characterful and charismatic drives, but yet having to go through a string of financial woes.
Things seem to be on the brighter side under its current stewardship of the Fiat Chrysler group, as the marque plans to launch no fewer than eight new models by 2018. And here we have one of Alfa's latest models in Singapore - the facelifted Giulietta.Up close and Personal
In its latest incarnation, the Giulietta takes on minor, yet important tweaks on its sheet metal. Also new is the availability of a new variant called the QV Line (Alfa's speak for Audi's S-Line and BMW's M-Sport).
The package comprises of various components, such as lowered springs, trims in coordinated colours and larger 18-inch multi-spoke rims. On the test car, the contrasting colours give the hatchback a sportier stance, and is almost immediately more desirable than its predecessor, which we sampled almost three years ago.
In the cabin, the new car gets dashes of red splashed on its dashboard and door cards. The striking and vibrant ambience is further accentuated by the seats, which are now wrapped in red leather.
In the cabin, the new car gets dashes of red splashed on its dashboard and door cards. The striking and vibrant ambience is further accentuated by the seats, which are now wrapped in red leather.
The Drive
Like before, the Giulietta gets the award-winning 1.4-litre Multair engine, which churns out 170bhp and 250Nm of torque. That makes it one of the most powerful in its segment, only superseded by the V40 Cross Country T4.
The strong performance figures give the hatchback a lively and likeable character, like an active puppy playfully prowling the road. Zero to 100km/h is completed in an inspiring 7.7 seconds - quicker than the V40 by almost one full second.
Also fitted is Alfa's DNA driving selector (Dynamic; Natural; All-weather), which alters various perimeters such as the throttle response, steering sensitivity, traction control and speed of gear swops.
Naturally, we found the Giulietta most delightful to drive in Dynamic mode with its firmer steering and hastened responsiveness to jabs on the gas pedal. The weakest link, however, lies in the dual-clutch six-speed TCT gearbox, which needs to be tweaked for quicker response and cog swops.
Accompanying the drive is a ear-delighting audio system, which delivers a good balance of clear treble and crisp bass. But what's more music to our ears is the throaty exhaust note.
Like before, the Giulietta gets the award-winning 1.4-litre Multair engine, which churns out 170bhp and 250Nm of torque. That makes it one of the most powerful in its segment, only superseded by the V40 Cross Country T4.
The strong performance figures give the hatchback a lively and likeable character, like an active puppy playfully prowling the road. Zero to 100km/h is completed in an inspiring 7.7 seconds - quicker than the V40 by almost one full second.
Also fitted is Alfa's DNA driving selector (Dynamic; Natural; All-weather), which alters various perimeters such as the throttle response, steering sensitivity, traction control and speed of gear swops.
Naturally, we found the Giulietta most delightful to drive in Dynamic mode with its firmer steering and hastened responsiveness to jabs on the gas pedal. The weakest link, however, lies in the dual-clutch six-speed TCT gearbox, which needs to be tweaked for quicker response and cog swops.
Accompanying the drive is a ear-delighting audio system, which delivers a good balance of clear treble and crisp bass. But what's more music to our ears is the throaty exhaust note.
We think it is one of the sportiest and best-sounding in its segment. In fact, it even got us double-guessing if this is indeed the 1.4 variant and not the higher-spec 1.8 QV (slated for our shores in the later part of the year).
Conclusion
Alfa's latest hatchback has gained more appeal with the iconic QV Line without losing practicality as a daily family carrier.
Compared to its rivals, such as the Volkswagen Golf, the Renault Megane Hatch and the more recent Peugeot 308, the Giulietta boasts a stronger emotional appeal. Where it pales, however, is in its drivetrain.
While Italian cars haven't been as popular as their dishes in Singapore, we think they can become strong rivals to their European counterparts - if they continue to show such progress, as with the updated Giulietta.
Conclusion
Alfa's latest hatchback has gained more appeal with the iconic QV Line without losing practicality as a daily family carrier.
Compared to its rivals, such as the Volkswagen Golf, the Renault Megane Hatch and the more recent Peugeot 308, the Giulietta boasts a stronger emotional appeal. Where it pales, however, is in its drivetrain.
While Italian cars haven't been as popular as their dishes in Singapore, we think they can become strong rivals to their European counterparts - if they continue to show such progress, as with the updated Giulietta.
