The last real Alfa enthusiasts?
The Alfa Romeo Giulia has received its last interim update. With new headlights and a digital instrument panel, it seems somewhat up to date again. However, the options are greatly reduced, leaving only the most difficult-to-sell versions. Maybe something for collectors?
Does Alfa keep a classic alive?
As a member of the class of 2015, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is still in the price list, and not only that: the Milanese are once again updating it. Equipped with new headlights, a revised grille, subtly retouched bumpers and a digital instrument panel instead of analog clocks, the Giulia rolls into stoppage time. And the adjustments that are made to the Giulia are also directly applied to the Stelvio. The contours of the headlight units have remained unchanged, the news lies in the interpretation of those units. From now on, the lamps appear to be made up of three elements, a nod to the SZ of yesteryear and more recently to the 159. It also makes the Giulia and Stelvio immediately recognizable in the dark.
The headlights with their three LED curls are a nod to the brutal SZ.
Which versions are left?
From now on, the Giulia and Stelvio will only be supplied with the 280 hp four-cylinder petrol engine and the 210 hp 2.2 liter diesel. In both cases you get an eight-speed automatic transmission and four-wheel drive. The rear-wheel drive versions of the Giulia are no longer coming to the Netherlands and the 200 hp petrol version has also been removed from the tableau. Quite remarkable for a market like ours where the bpm amount has a significant impact on the sales price and that bpm is based on CO2 emissions. And it is precisely those CO2 emissions that are increased with four-wheel drive and with the thicker engine.
In the Netherlands, the Alfa Romeo Giulia is only available with quadrifoglio four-wheel drive: Q4.
Does a digital set of instruments add anything?
No. There is a choice of three themes. The first is a minimalist one, ideal for suppressing latent information stress. The second is a variation of the first where a speedometer needle and a tachometer needle stand out slightly against the dark background and only light up numbers for the values passed. The third variant has a classic design, as if you were looking at a set of instruments from the 1960s. This leaves nothing to be desired and is therefore our favorite and makes the first two themes superfluous.
We prefer to set the digital instruments on the classical theme.
Is the Alfa Romeo Giulia still up to date?
No. Especially the interior is starting to get old. But … technically we still get happy. The two-liter four-cylinder with its 280 hp is still one of the livelier types with a matching sporty sound. Full of enthusiasm, it provides more than enough flexibility over a wide rev range. Thanks to the electronics, the engine forms a fine tandem with the eight-speed automatic transmission. More than with the powertrain, the Giulia shows that with its chassis it is still at the forefront when it comes to dynamic handling. Without it becoming uncomfortable, the chassis feels nice and firm, an excellent basis for a nice and stable handling.
The chassis of the Alfa Giulia can still compete with the best.
Diesel, is that still possible?
Yes. At least, for this 2.2 JTD we have a soft spot. The 210 hp diesel in the Alfa Romeo Giulia was never the quietest of its kind and nothing has changed. It compensates for its rawness with a nice portion of pulling power, right from just above idle speed. Here too, the interplay with the automatic transmission is still neatly in order, regardless of the selected driving mode, the gearbox stays on track.
The 2.2 JTD diesel engine is not the quietest of its kind, but it does deliver a nice portion of pulling power.
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– Thanks for information from Autoweek.nl