Goodwood Test: 2020 Giulia Veloce Ti Review

We’ve written about the Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio a number of times, and for good reason: in our humble opinion it’s one of the finest cars Alfa Romeo has ever built. That in itself is no small achievement. But there are other Giulias in this world, like this, the Quadrifoglio’s little brother: the Giulia Veloce.

If you’re looking for a beautiful saloon and the noise and performance of a basic petrol or diesel doesn’t appeal, and nor does the fuel consumption of the full-fat Quadrifoglio, a middle of the range model with hot hatch performance looks like a very happy middle ground.

The Veloce – like every other Giulia – is an incredibly pretty car, and our car, a Veloce Ti, wears some of the performance-inspired design features of the Quadrifoglio. The vents that bring extra engine and brake cooling on the Quadrifoglio, normally found on the front bumper and in the bonnet, are gone, but the carbon ‘V’ grille surround remains. You get the same wheels, too, albeit as 19-inchers rather than 20s. The optional Carbon Pack, also fitted, brings even more Quadrifoglio styling, with the addition of a carbon rear lip spoiler and carbon-fibre sill extensions.

Underneath the bonnet lies a turbocharged 2.0-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine with 280PS (211kW) and 400Nm (295lb ft) of torque. Performance is actually very commendable, with 0-62mph taking just 5.7 seconds a top speed of 149mph. A Honda Civic Type R, by comparison, has 320PS (231kW) and an identical 400Nm of torque and 0-62mph sprint time of 5.7 seconds. Obviously the Giulia Veloce and the Type R are not rivals, but in performance terms at least those numbers give the Alfa saloon some context.

Press the engine start button, though, and the resulting noise is not an inspiring one. At idle and regular, low-rpm driving the Veloce’s four-pot has an almost diesel-like ring to it. Mercifully, pushing the revs higher improves the soundtrack. There are no dramatic turbocharger whooshes, just a gentle four-cylinder shout.

The gearbox paddles are exceptional, and the eight-speed gearbox itself is not too bad at all. Aside from the odd lurch it’s a smooth operator. A very good feature is that, in manual mode, putting your foot to the floor will not send the gearbox into a panic. Far too many gearboxes, even with ‘M’ selected, will drop you down a gear or two for maximum acceleration. Most of the time I’d rather tell the car what to do, not have the car decide for me. Bravo Alfa.

One reason you might go for the Veloce rather than a standard Giulia is for a more controlled ride, and there is no doubt the Veloce handles better than any of its more lowly siblings. The steering is still just as light and quick (the speed is no bad thing but the weight isn’t particularly reassuring), but the suspension just feels a little more taught. You won’t find the grip of the Quadrifoglio, of course, but when it comes to body control the two cars aren’t a million miles away. Another Bravo for Alfa.

Bury your foot to the floor and the Veloce performs as you’d expect. It isn’t mind-bendingly fast, but there’s more than enough performance to have some fun, and, perhaps more importantly in day-to-day life, complete overtakes with ease.

What holds the Veloce back when it comes to fun, though, is the inability to turn the traction control off. I fully appreciate that speed alone will, for some, equal fun, but with all that power and torque heading to the back wheels but no way of playing with it, I can’t help but think it’s a bit of a missed opportunity. For me, where I expected the Veloce to sit slap-bang in the space between the Quadrifoglio and other normal Giulias, that lack of playfulness and a simple ‘traction control off’ button pushes it more towards ‘normal’.

Climb inside and, once again, the Veloce has a half-Quadrifoglio, half-standard Giulia feel. There’s a more regular leather-bound steering wheel rather than the carbon-leather item in the Quadrifoglio, but the carbon on the centre console, dash and door handle surrounds remain. The added Performance Pack brings with it the stunning aluminium gear selector paddles behind the wheel (not to mention adaptive dampers and a limited-slip differential), too. Ultimately the Giulia is a pleasant place to sit and the driving position is spot-on.

The Veloce performs well and looks absolutely gorgeous, and if speed is your thing then this is hot hatch quick. But it isn’t hot hatch engaging, thanks largely to the lack of a ‘TC off’ button. When it comes to thrills, then, there really is no substitute for the full-fat Q-car.