Test: Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio – old school blaster

The Giulia, is it still there? The car has been around for a while.

That’s right, but the sedan still has to go through. Alfa Romeo is reinventing itself. The Tonale is the first of a new generation of Alfas, but with the Giulia we are going back to the past. The thick Quadrifoglio or Q version was the basis of the car at the time. It was developed as a super sedan with 500 hp, the ‘regular’ Giulia is the scaled-down variant.

A facelift, that is new headlights and a different bumper?

Yes, we know the external changes for the most part from the regular Giulia, with the new 3×3 headlights. It also received new wheels and ceramic brakes are available at an additional cost. On the inside we see the new TFT screen that adapts to the selected driving mode and the new multimedia system that the Giulia already received. To start with the most negative part: the multimedia is still mediocre and old-fashioned. Better than before, but that says more about how it was. But a lot has changed under the skin. The suspension has been further improved to get instant response from the body and it’s noticeable how stiff the car is and how eager it is to change direction. In addition, the Alfa Romeo received the new limited slip differential that was introduced on the 100-year edition.

Slightly better materials, but it still looks old-fashioned.

And that engine, it was from Ferrari, wasn’t it?

Yes, it’s basically the 3.9-liter V8 found in many Ferraris, but with two fewer cylinders. So a 90-degree 2.9 liter V6 with two turbos, the power increased from 510 to 520 horsepower. All power goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. It makes the car more than quickly fed up and it pours the power over you nicely. At the top, the engine flattens out slightly, so you have to keep an eye on your tachometer so that you switch on time with the large flippers behind the wheel. Especially on the circuit, which means that you ram through the gears at a rapid pace thanks to the short gears. It may sound a bit too good, the Giulia GTA definitely sounded a bit more brutal.

And how does it drive?

Fantastic. No, really, what an old-fashioned cool driver’s car this. A ten for driving pleasure. The steering is light and direct, reminiscent of how Ferrari does it (no coincidence) and it is noticeable that the carriage is stiffer and more responsive than before. The BMW M3 feels like the only real competitor (the RS4/5 and C63 lack this sharpness) and that BMW is definitely a lot heavier than this Alfa. If you put the drive mode button in race, all electronic guardian angels are immediately switched off and you can sweep the car. The direct controls and quick responses make that easier than before, also thanks to the new differential lock.

Is that Giulia Quadrifoglio still a bit affordable?

The renewed Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio costs €138,500. A lot of money, but for this level of car reasonably competitive.