The Alfa Romeo Giulia, and you might say 'we already know this one,
we've already seen in in other videos', that's true. But this is the petrol version with 200 horsepower,
the entry model in the petrol range. And this one is different enough than, let's say,
the diesel version. So, we wanted to make an extra video.
So what's the deal with diesel engines? The past ten years, diesels became more powerful,
they got more torque, they already were fuel efficient,
they've also become a lot more quiet, the way the engine ran became nicer,
and that's why diesels sometimes were better choices than the petrol engined cars, because there weren't any upsides to petrol engines really.
Maybe lower taxes, but that would be it.
But then, the war on emissions was declared, and everybody wanted to kill the CO2-emissions. As a result; the engines became noisier.
Even with more expensive brands, take Mercedes for example.
The 4-cylinder diesel engines in the C-Class and the E-Class, could me more quiet if you ask me.
It becomes even more apparent if you drive the Jaguar XE, it really is noisy.
And I'll have to admit, you also see this problem with Alfa Romeo.
If you drive this Giulia with a diesel engine, it's very loud.
It really is a disappointment if you drive it in this car, because it wrecks the great driving experience this car offers.
And that's too bad, because I drove Giulia diesel first and I thought;
'the car itself is pretty good.'
And that's why we're driving the petrol engine today, because the whole should be better. At least, on paper...
And I'll give it away, it is definitely better.
The 2.0-litre petrol engine is a very nice power unit, it's hot and it likes to rev.
Also, it's connected to a 8-speed automatic gearbox, so it's got nice and short gears.
If you get the manual gearbox, the gears are pretty long, and that's a bit of a disadvantage.
But this has got short gears, so it reacts pretty fiercely.
And that's how Alfa makes the Giulia, the great drivers car it's supposed to be.
There are also a few nice gimmicks, take the automatic gearbox for example.
I've got flappy pedals behind the wheel, and they're not really tiny one, no.
They're fitted to the steering column, and they're huge.
Almost makes you think it's a Ferrari, and that's no coincidence.
Alfa Romeo tries to create a sort of Ferrari atmosphere in here, just take the engine in the Giulia Q,
of course that V6 is based on a Ferrari-engine. And they've pulled the same trick with the flappy pedals.
Because the engine is so fierce, it's a pretty quick car. It goes from 0-100 within 7 seconds,
and for an entry model, that's pretty neat.
Because the dynamic aspect in the Giulia already was good, you've got a lovely car in this combination.
The Giulia really drives fantastic, the steering is incredibly direct.
You've also got manufacturers which fake the sportiness in a car, that's when people think: 'oh it steers like a go-kart, so it's sporty.'
But the total balance of the car, and the mechanical grip also have to correspond.
And that happens in here. The level of grip in this car is very good.
It's also very well balanced, it feels light, and what you get,
is one of the best steering, if not the best steering car in the D-segment.
What Alfa has done really good, is focussing on the driving pleasure.
With their 159, they wanted to become more premium and luxury,
and then you get in no-mans land, because you just can't get inbetween Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz,
and they do call the shots in there. But if you focus on a key point,
and master that key point, you can get the fans back.
Alfa-drivers who were used to a 156 and got in this, they really enjoyed steering this car. GTV-owners as well.
Finally an Alfa which steers like everyone hopes an Alfa drives.
Where are the disadvantages then? Well, in the interior.
I think it's not premium-worthy. It's a lot of plastic, it isn't very good looking,
the multimedia-system isn't very advanced, there aren't a lot of safety features available which you can expect in other D-segment cars.
I just think it isn't a premium car, however, it's a very nice driving car.
So is it a problem? I don't think so.
If you consider this one, remember this: the legroom in the back isn't really massive,
the space in the boot isn't on the Ford Mondeo-level, if I can say it like that.
For the car I'm driving right now, you'll be paying €55.000,
and that's a premium price for a car which isn't really premium...
But if you're looking for a car which drives amazing, this car doesn't even get uncomfortable.
It feels very light, and you get very happy in this car if you like that.
And that's exactly what Alfa Romeo should've done again years ago.