First Drive: 2021 Alfa Romeo Giulia Review

Recently, I found myself in the heel of Italy’s boot driving what very much looks like the current Alfa Romeo Giulia. But, as the old adage goes, to judge a book by its cover is not to climb inside and explore its intricacies – or something along those lines…

Its near-identical appearance to its predecessor, however, means diddly squat when it comes down to the facts. Alfa has put a serious emphasis on the interior quality and comfort improvements in this guise. Most importantly, however, there is a brace of new safety measures, including ‘Level 2 autonomy’ and the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). To get to know these systems, I climbed behind the wheel of the 200PS (147kW) petrol-powered Giulia in the sporty Sprint trim.

While it looks remarkably similar to the old Giulia, the Giulia you see here has in fact been updated for the new model year, with a focus on interior quality and comfort, plus the introduction of new colours, more tactile materials and a more driver-centric design.

On the outside, it retains its slicked back Italian style, with subtle updates in the form of new trim level badging across the range (including the Sprint trim’s darkened ‘V’ grille surround) and Bi-Xenon headlights as standard.

Four trim levels of Super, Sprint, Lusso Ti and Veloce are available in the new Giulia. Of the aforementioned trims, Super, Sprint and Lusso Ti are available with either a 200PS (147kW) petrol or 190PS (140kW) diesel rear-wheel-drive powertrain, while the flagship Veloce can be specced with either a 280PS (206kW) petrol or 210PS (154kW) diesel, both all-wheel-drive. Under the bonnet, very little has changed since the previous iteration – in fact, so little that it didn’t even warrant a mention in the pre-drive press conference.

Having tested out the 280PS petrol in the new Stelvio the previous day, I went for the more conservative 200PS petrol. Understandably, after the previous day’s more powerful Stelvio, the Giulia hit with a bit less punch, with the 330Nm (244lb ft) of torque peaking early at 1,750rpm and peak power of at 4,500rpm. It isn’t slow – performance is still quite reasonable, with a 6.6-second 0-62mph time – but once you’ve had the extra power it’s hard to settle for less.

As before there are three driver modes: Dynamic, Natural and Advanced Efficiency, or ‘DNA’. Dynamic mode, which tightens up the electronic dampers, sharpens the throttle and gearbox response, and adds more eight to the steering, remains the mode for an enthusiastic drive. N is a happy compromise around town, while A dials everything down to dull.

Unlike the Stelvio the previous day, the Giulia feels low and connected to the ground, handling with aplomb at high and low speeds. Unfortunately though, there remains no way of turning the ESP off, a crying shame in a rear-wheel-drive Alfa – you just can’t adjust the car the way you want to, as at the slightest hint of slip the systems kill the power.

In the cabin, there’s a new 7-inch TFT instrument display tucked in neatly behind the wheel and smooth flappy paddles, a clear and concise update to the now digitally orientated cab. In the centre of the dash is the now-standard 8.8-inch TFT multi-touch display, which is both larger and more accessible than its predecessor. The standard graphics list has replaced by interactive widgets, more similar to a smart phone, which merges well with the Android Auto and Apple CarPlay it hosts. Equally, the maps are no longer vertically restricted by menu bars along the bottom of the screen, allowing for a more comprehensive view of a route.

Housing these digital upgrades is a restyled centre console with larger, more accessible storage compartments and wireless charging. The Alcantara leather seats meanwhile, are comfortable and well-bolstered – useful for when you want to make the most of D mode.

Alfa has introduced a host of new safety measures, including the so-called ‘Level 2 autonomy’ and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). While this suite is not designed to make the car anywhere near fully autonomous, it provides an extra sense of security behind the wheel.

Included in the ADAS suite is active cruise control, blind spot assist and lane keep assist, which not only monitor your position on the road, but also correct the steering so as to avoid collisions. Joining these is traffic sign recognition and intelligent speed control, driver attention assist, traffic jam assist and highway assist. The former operates at speeds up to 60km/h (37mph), while the latter works all the way up to 145km/h (90mph). Traffic sign recognition reads the road signs and alerts the driver to the speed limit, and if they agree adjusts the cruise control speed accordingly, while driver attention assist monitors the driver for drowsiness. The systems are perhaps a little keen, though, with the occasional random, indiscernible beep, even without anything on the dash to indicate the cause.

The functions are all activated via a Bosch front radar and onboard camera, and operated via a cluster of buttons on the left-hand side of the newly-designed steering wheel. While convenient, these buttons have to be pressed in certain combinations to activate various functions, and it’s certainly not advised to learn on the go.

Another new feature promoting safety is the Alfa Romeo ‘Connected Services’ pack. Operated mainly via a mobile app, it features the ‘my assistant’ emergency function, which automatically contacts the emergency services in case of accident or can be activated manually. The ‘my remote’ app, allowing drivers to unlock their car or activate the lights from a distance, and the ‘my wi-fi’ service, allowing the onboard Wi-Fi to be shared with 8 devices. Joining these functions in 2020 will be the ‘my theft assistance’, which alerts the owner of any attempt to steal the car, and ‘my navigation’, which will search for and navigate to a destination, using real-time traffic, weather and speed camera alerts. There’s also the app-based car-sharing service ‘I-Link by Leasys’.

In a world where cutting-edge style rules, the new Giulia is a refreshing change. Acknowledging that they have already hit the nail on the head with the previous guise allowed Alfa to focus on what really matters – the internals. And the result is an incredibly safe and comfortable saloon, with a brace of connectivity measures. The 200PS 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol is a proven weapon, and when in Dynamic mode is all the excitement you need for the everyday commute.

The range starts from £34,995 with the Giulia Super with the 200PS turbo petrol, rising to £42,575 for the Veloce, powered by the 280PS version of that same engine. Our test model sat comfortably in the middle ground, costing from £37,995 on the road. To put that in perspective, the previous entry-level 2.0-litre Giulia Super cost from £32,620. Given those updated internals, plus the new standard electronic aids and safety features, you’re definitely getting more car for your money.