Wirral Life October 2017 | Page 112

ALFA ROMEO GIULIA 2.2 TURBO DIESEL by Tony Yates For the last six months I have been waiting for the new Alfa Romeo Giulia to arrive on my driveway – well, it’s finally here. I’m not going to get too excited about it because it’s just another car right? Wrong. This is an Alfa and I’m very excited about it. The Giulia is so sexy, I want to run away with it to a remote desert island . The easiest way of explaining this is by saying; owning an Alfa is kind of like finding out your new girlfriend has a passion for beach volleyball and being asked if you minded doing the job of applying the sun cream to the rest of the team as and when required. Oh dear, maybe that was a little over the top, even for me – but just remember this is no ordinary ‘Alfa Romeo’. Right, now I have got that out my system, I’ll calm down and resume my normal mode for the rest of the review. But please be aware that I may at some point burst into uncontrollable rants of lust for the Giulia - so please, be on your guard at all times whilst reading on. Power and Efficiency: My test car was fitted with a 2,143cc 4-cylinder turbo diesel engine with180HP. Top speed is around 143mph and 0-62 is up in 7.0 sec. Well, now we have that bit out the way – what was the engine actually like I hear you shout? Well, for a diesel, I would give it a big fat YES on all levels. Mainly because the engine pulls really well in any gear thanks to a brilliant 8-speed transmission, which also just happens to offer up maximum torque figure of around 450Nm. Ok, it’s not a missile – but its still bloody quick. Plus, I have to tell you that there are not many cars that have made me feel this way for a long time. Where the Giulia really shines though is in its ability to return over 60mpg (combined) and CO2 emissions as low as 109 g/km, which is just staggering. It feels alive and posied ready for action - exactly how a proper Alfa should feel. On the road: The suspension is set up in such a way that it works in perfect harmony with the chassis to keep the Giulia not only flat into the corners but also controlled enough on the exit, allowing you to really feel how well all those components are working together to assure you of maximum grip at all times. Plus, 112 wirrallife.com of course, it also happens to have that all-important Alfa DNA at its heart which also oozes out by the bucket load. So, does this sound like a guy totally obsessed by something simply made out of a load of nuts & bolts, or is there something more human here about the Alfa? Well, all I can tell you is that every time I arrived back home from being out in the Giulia – I spent quite a lot of time locked in the garage meditating. I don’t actually know what that means, but it sounded good. Design & Technology On the inside, the Giulia is exciting and the attention to detail on the interior finish is not only good, it’s breathtaking. You know this is a real driver’s car the moment you sit inside. And it’s good to see that Alfa hasn’t forgotten any of that. The interior seating is well designed and the seats support you firmly. The cabin is also festooned by a decent amount of quality materials that will wear well for many years to come. Legroom in the back is good for all occupants which makes my life travelling with my children a more happy affair - thanks mainly to the amount of space they had between them limiting the moans of ‘he keeps pinching me’. Like I said earlier – the Alfa is a real driver’s car, and the Giulia is actually turning out to be something very special indeed. Some of the standard equipment includes; 7” TFT colour cluster display, Alfa D.N.A driving mode selector, automatic headlights, dual-zone climate control, rear parking sensors, 8 speaker audio system, cruise control, Forward Collision Warning (FCW), Integrated Brake System (IBS) and Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) Plus, an engine start button on the steering wheel which is very cool indeed and a nice touch. To sum up: The Giulia is a great car. All I need now is a large bottle of sun cream, a desert island, the Alfa Romeo Giulia and Rosie Huntington- Whiteley. Price: From £32,990 [email protected]