2016 Alfa Romeo Giulia revealed, Quadrifoglio range-topper with 510 hp [+Video]



It’s been almost five years since the demise of the 159, and now Alfa Romeo’s compact exec is back with a resurrected name from the 1960s.

This, ladies and gentlemen, is the Alfa Romeo Giulia (pronounced Julia), finally revealed after years of development hiccups, and just in time for their 105th anniversary celebration.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (7)

Unveiled at the newly-refurbished Alfa Romeo Museum in Arese, the Giulia is primed with an all-new rear-wheel drive platform, and already it has its sights set on the usual suspects, such as the BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz C-Class, and the likes of it all. It even comes with a restyled Alfa Romeo badge to mark its return as a proper driver-focused Alfa.

EXTERIOR

The Giulia looks gorgeous in these official pictures. Being a rear-wheel drive sedan allows the Giulia to have a shorter front overhang compared to the front-wheel drive 159 it replaces, giving it a more dynamic stance than the nose-heavy predecessor.

Nothing too radical with the styling, de rigeur triangular “trefoil” shield grille is present at the front coupled with a pair of keen-looking horizontal headlamps, the side is characterised by a deep signature line, while the back features a pair of sharp taillamps.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (1)

Marked by the iconic triangular emblem on the front fenders, the Giulia you’re seeing here is the hot Quadrifoglio variant, and it’s wearing a fancy aerokit to complement its equally hot hardware underneath.

The kit includes a front Active Aero Splitter that serves to regulate the downforce, additional flics on the side skirts, a boot lid spoiler, a serious-looking rear diffuser incorporating a couple of twin tailpipes on each side, and a set of anthracite five-hole wheels.

INTERIOR

Alfa haven’t release any official interior pictures yet, but they insist that the Giulia will have a small steering wheel with a bunch of controls “in a similar fashion to a Formula 1 car“; we’re guessing something like the steering in the Ferrari 488 GTB. Additionally, two simple knobs are provided to control the infotainment system and the Alfa DNA selector, where the driver can choose from Dynamic, Natural, Advanced Efficient, and an extra Racing mode in the Giulia Quadrifoglio.

PERFORMANCE

The Quadrifoglio variant is fitted with a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 tuned by “engineers from a Ferrari background”, and it’s equipped with electronically-controlled cylinder deactivation system. Constructed out of lightweight aluminium, the V6 generates 510 hp and it will get the Giulia from 0 to 100 km/h in a blistering 3.9 seconds. The engine is also claimed to produce the special Alfa Romeo soundtrack to go with the said performance.

The suspension consists of a double-wishbone at the front and “Alfalink” multilink at the rear, together with electronically-controlled adaptive dampers. There’s also a double-clutch Torque Vectoring system for optimum traction and the Integrated Brake System for a quicker brake response.

Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio (2)

Lightweight materials such as carbon fibre for the bonnet and roof, and aluminium for the doors and front and rear frames help to achieve an impressive weight-to-power ratio of less than 3 kg per hp. The components are also carefully organised to acquire the perfect 50/50 weight distribution.

WHAT ELSE?

The Giulia will enter the European market some time next year, so it’s still a long wait for the Alfisti out there. Alfa will eventually announce the lesser variants of the Giulia, and word on the grapevine that a couple of four-cylinder engines (petrol and diesel each), and a V6 diesel will find their way under the Giulia’s shapely bonnet. There will be an all-wheel drive option too. So, what do you think of Alfa’s new ‘Romeo’?


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