The engine technology Alfa has come out with over recent years can stand comparison with the very best. The emphasis has been on small, turbocharged engines of the petrol and diesel varieties and the Giulietta showcases the best of them.
A 120bhp 1.4TB engine kicks things off and, above that, there is another 1.4 that’s also turbocharged but, additionally, has the sophisticated MultiAir valve-timing system helping it up to 170bhp. At this level, you get the choice of a six-speed manual gearbox or the six-speed ALFA TCT automatic transmission.
Inevitably, the diesels will be popular and there’s a 105bhp 1.6 JTDM-2 unit and a 150bhp 2.0-litre JTDM-2 that’s quietly been inserted into the range. This engine is fiendishly clever, the common rail injection system capable of firing up to eight injections per piston stroke and it can execute separate injections so close that it effectively creates a continuous stream of fuel.
The result is an engine that will punt the Giulietta to 62mph in just 8.8 seconds and run on to 130mph. There’s a Dynamic mode to increase the engine’s flexibility, which boosts torque from 236 to 280lb/ft. Other engines worth considering are the 175bhp JTDM-2 diesel and the 235bhp 1.75 turbo petrol.
Prices range in the £18,000 to £25,000 bracket and, in the mainstream range, there’s a choice of Progression, Distinctive, Exclusive, and Sportiva Nav trim levels. As well as the exterior updates, this improved Giulietta gets some extra bits indoors, too. Plus, there’s a smarter infotainment system called Uconnect, which works well with a range of smartphone and MP3 devices.
All variants get plenty of standard kit. The tally runs to alloy wheels, that Uconnect infotainment system with steering wheel remote controls, a DAB radio, Bluetooth connectivity, tyre pressure monitoring, rear electric windows and smarter seat fabrics with matching dashboard, door and central tunnel inserts. Carryover standard features from the previous line-up include the Alfa DNA driving selector, air conditioning, LED daytime running lights, LED tail-lights, VDC stability control and Alfa Romeo’s electronic Q2 differential.
Alfa hasn’t skimped on safety features and the Giulietta gets a complement of six airbags plus an array of electronic devices designed to let drivers extract the maximum from their Alfa Romeo while staying safe at all times. There’s ABS anti-lock braking with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Vehicle Dynamic Control (VDC) – Alfa Romeo’s interpretation of Electronic Stability Programme, Cornering Brake Control (CBC), Dynamic Steering Torque (DST), Hydraulic Brake Assistance (HBA) and a Pre-Fill function for the brakes. This helped the Giulietta achieve a record 87 out of 100 score on the revised EuroNCAP ratings.
Under the bonnet, every engine in the Alfa Giulietta range benefits from improved efficiency and lower emissions which doesn’t just make the Giulietta more environmentally friendly, it also results in lower fuel bills and reduced benefit-in-kind (BIK) costs for company car drivers.
The 1.4 TB MultiAir 170hp TCT, for example, now drops into the 15% BIK band, while the diesel-powered 1.6 JTDM-2 105hp drops from the 17% BIK band down to the 15% band. The new 150hp 2.0 JTDM-2 engine, which debuts on the Giulietta, doesn’t just offer more power and torque compared to the previous 140hp 2.0 JTDM-2 engine, it also produces 9g/km less in terms of CO emissions, dropping it into the 17% BIK band.
The Giulietta has also quietly earned itself some wholly respectable residual values. In fact, it was voted the seventh most popular model with owners in the Auto Express Driver Power survey of 2013. Compare a 105bhp Giulietta 1.6 JTDM-2 Turismo with a 105bhp Ford Focus 1.6TDCi Zetec and the Alfa is not only more affordable, but when the overall pence-per-mile figure comes back after three years and 36,000 miles, the Ford scores 51.97ppm and the Alfa’s within a penny at 52.93ppm. Most people I know would choose a Giulietta over a Focus if they knew it would cost around 0.5% more to run.
The latest 150bhp 2.0-litre JTDM-2 diesel engine puts in a bit of a star turn at the pumps, too, returning a combined figure of 67mpg and emitting 110g/km, which is better than its 105bhp junior sibling. Insurance ratings are typically a group higher than you’d pay for a Focus or an Astra, which may well be something that younger drivers will need to consider, but the days of Alfas being money pits for hopeless romantics are long past.
As an object lesson in how to make an unpromising car come good, you can’t really do a great deal better than the Alfa Romeo Giulietta. You could cite a few other vehicles that developed into something rather good after a slow start. The Jaguar S-TYPE, the BMW X3 and the Mazda3 spring to mind and the common theme running through all these models is that they became better cars than the British public gave them credit for. The same may well be true of the Giulietta. It’s a far more focused sales proposition now than in 2010, but the old perception tends to be the one people carry with them. Communicating that the car has moved on ought to be Alfa’s priority.
The latest 150bhp diesel engine in the Giulietta punts it right into contention with the class best. It’s never going to be quite as cheap to run as a Golf, but it’s about on a par with a Focus and Ford’s family favourite has never exactly been perceived as a crazy indulgence. Perhaps it’s time you gave the Alfa a second chance.